


One More Chance to Get it Right

by Flowerheart7901



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Time Travel, Angst with a Happy Ending, Everyone Needs A Hug, Everyone Needs Therapy, Found Family, Gen, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Iroh (Avatar) is a Good Uncle, Ozai (Avatar) Being a Terrible Parent, The Gaang Learns How Zuko Got The Scar (Avatar), The Gaang are all ready to beat Ozai up, Toph Beifong and Zuko are Siblings, Zuko Joins The Gaang Early (Avatar), Zuko is an Awkward Turtleduck, Zuko unintentionally starts a rebellion, no beta we die like jet
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-26
Updated: 2021-01-21
Packaged: 2021-03-10 01:48:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 20
Words: 58,050
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27725713
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Flowerheart7901/pseuds/Flowerheart7901
Summary: A week after Sozin's Comet and the Fire Nation finally winning the war, a defeated Zuko is approached by the spirit of Avatar Roku, who gives him a choice, to go back and save everyone. Finding himself on the Wani, shortly after Aang comes out of the iceberg, Zuko knows that he will do whatever it takes, to save his friends and stop his father. Time-Travel!AU.
Relationships: Aang & Sokka (Avatar), Aang & Toph Beifong, Aang & Zuko (Avatar), Aang/Katara (Avatar), Iroh & Zuko (Avatar), Katara & Sokka (Avatar), Katara & Zuko (Avatar), Sokka & Zuko (Avatar), The Gaang & Zuko (Avatar), Toph Beifong & Katara, Toph Beifong & Sokka, Toph Beifong & Zuko
Comments: 98
Kudos: 641





	1. A New Chance

It had been a week. A week since Sozin's Comet. A week since Phoenix King Ozai had killed Aang in their fateful duel. A week since Fire Lord Azula had killed Katara during the Agni Kai. A week since Sokka, Toph, and Suki had been captured by the Fire Nation Army on the airships and were publicly executed in the center of Caldera City. A week since the White Lotus members were all killed in the attempt to free Ba Sing Se. A week since the Fire Nation won the war. A week since everything changed, and Zuko was the only one alive.

Finally reaching an open clearing, deep in the heart of the former Earth Kingdom, where the Fire Nation had failed to reach yet, Zuko took a seat on the ground. Settling into his spot on the forest floor, Zuko began his meditation. Slowly breathing in and out, he focused on his inner flame, determined to get his chi stronger, so he could at least try to avenge his friend's deaths, and save as many people as he could. But a bright flash behind his eyes startled him enough to open them.

But what Zuko saw when he opened his eyes, was not the forest he had sat down in, ten minutes prior. Instead, he was in a slightly different forest. Tall trees stretched all around, with colorful plants located on the forest floor. The entire place gave off a blueish, almost magical, hue, and small lights danced around. Standing up from his meditative seat, Zuko looked around in shock.

"Where am I?" He asked, confused.

"You're in the Spirit World." A voice sounded from behind him.

Zuko turned around and stared at the man behind him in shock. He was tall, with long, flowing white hair and a white beard, and wore a gold, regal headpiece in his topknot. He was dressed in the red robes of the Fire Nation, but they were considerably outdated.

Knowing immediately who the man was, Zuko dropped to his knees. "Avatar Roku," he whispered. "It's an honor."

"Stand up, grandson." Roku told him. "You do not need to bow to me. I assume you are wondering why I brought you here."

Zuko nodded. "That is one of my questions."

"The Avatar Cycle has been broken." Roku informed him. "Your father was able to kill Aang while in his Avatar State, and I will soon fade away as well. But, there is a way I can stop all of this from happening. I can send your mind back in time, so you can fix what happened, and stop the Avatar from disappearing, forever."

Zuko looked at him in shock, his jaw dropped. "You can do that?"

"I can." Roku said nodding. "It is a very rare power, one that I can only do once a millennia, in times of dire importance, although I cannot send the Avatar back. But, I think this qualifies as a time of dire importance."

Zuko looked up at him. "I will go. I want to save my friends, all of them, and stop my father once and for all."

"I thought that's what you would say." Roku said, smiling. "Good luck!" He called, one last time, as white began to obscure Zuko's vision, and in the blink of an eye, he was gone.

* * *

When Zuko opened his eyes, he was startled to feel the rocking of a boat under his feet. Rubbing his eyes, he looked around, noticing immediately that he was back in his cabin on the _Wani_. Glancing at the calendar on his desk, he groaned. Today was the day after they had fought Aang, Sokka, and Katara at the South Pole, which meant that his friends still thought he was evil, which was something he would have to change soon, if he wanted to save them.

Climbing off of his bed, Zuko headed out of his cabin, eager to find his uncle, so he could tell him what was going on. If anyone would understand what he had to do, it was Uncle. Heading out onto the deck, he looked around for his uncle, noticing immediately that the crew stopped their conversations as soon as he appeared, and went back to what they were supposed to be doing, which was something else he would have to change, before walking over to Lieutenant Jee.

"Lieutenant Jee," he addressed the other man, who turned around, quickly bowing to him. "Do you know where my uncle is?"

Jee nodded. "He's in the gallery, your highness."

"Thank you." Zuko told him, noticing the suprise on the lieutenant's face, before heading back into the ship. Peeking his head through the door, he smiled at the sight of seeing his uncle sitting and playing a game of Pai Sho with one of the crew members. "Uncle, can I talk to you in my cabin?" He asked.

Iroh looked up from his game, smiling at seeing his nephew standing there. "Of course Prince Zuko." He agreed, standing up, before turning to the crew member in front of him. "I suppose we'll have to finish this game another time."

Following Zuko out of the gallery, Iroh headed into his cabin, shutting the door behind the two of them, giving them privacy from the rest of the crew.

"What is it that you want to talk to me about, Prince Zuko?" Iroh asked, taking a seat on the bed.

Sighing, Zuko sat down next to his uncle, turning to him. "There's something I have to tell you, Uncle. I don't think you'll believe me at first, but please listen to what I have to say."

Iroh listened quietly as Zuko told him about the events of the last year, about how they chased Aang, Katara, and Sokka around the world, before eventually becoming refugees in the Earth Kingdom, following the events at the Siege of the Northern Water Tribe. About how they settled in Ba Sing Se, and opened a tea shop, until Azula completed her coup of the city, and Zuko joined her in the Crystal Catacombs, betraying Iroh, Katara, and Aang. About how Azula nearly killed Aang with her lightning, and he traveled back to Caldera City with her, with Ozai believing he had killed Aang. About how he betrayed Ozai, and joined the Gaang after the failed invasion on the Day of Black Sun. About how everything went wrong on the day of Sozin's Comet, resulting in the deaths of everyone he cared about. And finally, about how Roku approached him, sending him back to this day, so he could try and fix everything that went wrong.

For the longest time, Iroh said nothing, simply watching Zuko with an unreadable expression on his face. Finally, he spoke. "I am so _so_ proud of you, nephew. I knew you would find your way, and you did, and you made friends in the process."

"Thank you Uncle." Zuko said, smiling. "But where do we go from here? Aang, Katara, and Sokka still think I'm evil. They're not going to believe me if I try to tell them I've changed. And, if I keep following them, nothing will change from last time."

Iroh smiled at his nephew. "Then we show them you've changed instead. But, I think we can use our time before the Siege of the Northern Water Tribe, to try and liberate some Fire Nation occupied villages. If we get the villagers on our side, then maybe we can amass more support for the Avatar and his friends. After all, I think this time, the invasion on the Day of Black Sun will go better, if there are more troops."

"Aang will be heading to Kyoshi Island next." Zuko said, unrolling a map in front of the two of them. "Before, I followed him and ended up burning down the village, but that will be different now. Zhao will still be chasing Aang, since he found out that he is alive yesterday, which unfortunately can't be avoided. But, I know where Zhao will be this time, so I can outmaneuver him. After Kyoshi Island, they'll be heading to Omashu and then to free earthbenders from the prison rig."

Iroh looked up at Zuko, from the map. "How much time do we have until your friends free the earthbenders from the prison rig?"

"About a week." Zuko informed him. "We can use that time to help free some Fire Nation occupied villages. Before, I showed up at the rig after Aang, Katara, and Sokka had freed the prisoners, and used Katara's necklace, which I found on the floor of the rig, to track them. We'll still head to the rig like before, under the guise of wanting to learn information about the Avatar, and I'll grab Katara's necklace, which I'll give back to her when I finally get them to trust me."

Iroh nodded. "What happens next?"

"After they free the prisoners, they'll head to this town," Zuko said, pointing to it on the map. "So they can stop the spirit, Hei Bai, from abducting villagers. Since the Fire Nation never occupied this village, and it would only scare the villagers, we won't show up to help. After they help the village, Aang, Katara, and Sokka are going to head to the Fire Temple on Crescent Island, so Aang can speak to Avatar Roku on the Winter Solstice. But, Zhao would have already figured it out, and created a blockade, making it hard for our boat to get through without Zhao noticing. So, I say we head to Crescent Island, before Zhao makes the blockade, so we can help Aang, Katara, and Sokka there."

Iroh looked at him. "What happens on Crescent Island?"

"The Fire Temple is still maintained by the Fire Sages, but unfortunately, except for one, Shyu, they're still loyal to my father, not the Avatar." Zuko explained. "Before, Sokka tricked the Fire Sages into thinking Aang had entered the sanctuary, by creating an explosion, so they would open the doors and Aang could run in. Zhao ended up arresting them all, for letting Aang escape, and Avatar Roku destroyed the temple. This time, we can arrive at the Temple before everyone else, and incapacitate all the sages, except for Shyu, then when Aang, Katara, and Sokka show up, I can give Katara back her necklace."

Iroh nodded. "This is a good plan nephew, but are you sure they'll accept you?"

"I believe they will." Zuko told him. "Last time, all of them, except Katara, accepted me after I stopped the assassin I sent after Aang, who Sokka nicknamed Combustion Man, since he was a combustionbender. Katara only trusted me after I helped her find her mother's killer, and the only reason she didn't trust me before, was because I betrayed her in the Crystal Catacombs. This time, none of that has happened."

Iroh smiled up at Zuko. "I'm proud of you, nephew. You've grown so much. You're like a completely different person, the person I always knew you were meant to be. The only problem I see with our plan is, how do we convince the crew to follow us? We're committing treason."

"I thought of that as well." Zuko told him. "Most of our crew came on this mission because they had either lost their honor as well, or were disillusioned with the Fire Nation, so they had no problem coming along with a dishonored and banished prince on a mission that was doomed to fail. They realized right away, and you did as well, what it took me a long time to realize. That I was never meant to find the Avatar, and my father sent me on a fool's mission. I know some of them will not want to commit such bold acts of treason against their nation, and those I will let leave, but I believe a lot of them will stay."

Rolling up the map on the table, Iroh turned to his nephew. "Then let's gather the crew."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case it isn't clear, when Zuko first tells Uncle Iroh about what happened, he doesn't go into extreme detail of every event, nor what the Gaang was doing during that time, which is why he goes into more detail with him while planning.


	2. Choices and a New Mission

"I'm sure you're all wondering why I gathered you here." Zuko said, fifteen minutes later, when the entire crew of the _Wani_ was assembled on the deck.

Everyone, including the helmsman and the cook were there, staring expectantly at Zuko and Iroh. They had anchored the ship in the middle of the ocean, so even the helmsman could be there, without worrying about the _Wani_ drifting away.

"I've done a lot of thinking in the past few days." Zuko continued. "And I've realized that this war, it's wrong. Everything we've always been told about it, that we're spreading our great culture, it's not true. I see how people look at us in the ports, how scared they are, and I want to change that. I want to help the Avatar stop the war. I've finally realized what I'm sure many of you have realized by now, why you all even chose to come on this vessel in the first place, that my father does not want me back. If he really did, he wouldn't have sent me on a fool's mission. I know what I'm suggesting is downright treasonous." Zuko acknowledged. "And I'm not going to force any of you to join me. If you would like to leave, I will let you at the next port. Even if it's just me and Uncle."

As he finished speaking, the crew stared back at him in shock. Finally, Lieutenant Jee glanced around at the crew, before crossing the deck to join Zuko and Iroh. "I'll join you sir." He told them. "For the longest time, I believed in what the Fire Nation was doing, like anyone else. But when I joined your uncle at Ba Sing Se, I finally saw what the rest of the world thinks of us. I came on this vessel in the first place, because I was disillusioned with the war, and because I trust your uncle."

"I will too." The cook said. "I lost my wife and both my sons in this war. I don't want anyone else to experience that."

One by one, all eight members of the small ship joined Zuko and Iroh. Smiling at his small crew, Zuko knew that what he was doing was right, no matter what others might think.

"So, what's the plan Prince Zuko?" Lieutenant Jee asked.

Zuko turned to him. "Please, just call me Zuko, lieutenant. When my father hears about what we've done, I won't be a prince anymore, I'll just be a banished traitor."

"Then call me Jee." He said, smiling. "I'm pretty sure all of us can kiss our rankings goodbye, when word gets to the Fire Nation that we're traitors."

Iroh pulled the map from before, out of his pocket, and handed it to his nephew, who unrolled it. "The Avatar is going to attack this prison rig about a week from now to free all the earthbenders." He said, pointing to a spot on the map. "We can't reveal ourselves to the Fire Nation Navy just yet, if we want any chance of doing anything. But we can show up after, hopefully get a clue as to what the Navy is planning, by claiming that we want information on the Avatar. These towns are on the way to the prison rig, and they're all occupied by the Fire Nation." He said, pointing to a string of ports along the coast. "If we can free those, hopefully we can get people on our side."

"What's your plan for when the Avatar finds us?" Jee asked. "He thinks we're the enemy, since we did try to capture him yesterday."

Zuko smiled. "I already have a plan for that. He'll be heading to the Fire Temple on Crescent Island on the Winter Solstice, to talk to Avatar Roku. Zhao will of course have figured this out already, and form a blockade in front of the island. If we can get there before Zhao, we can make it to Crescent Island first, without Zhao knowing that we're even there. The Fire Sages are still loyal to my father, instead of the Avatar, like they should be. If we incapacitate them, they won't be able to stop the Avatar from talking to Avatar Roku."

"You heard my nephew." Iroh told them. "Let's get going. After all, we only have about two weeks before the Winter Solstice, and we want to free as many towns as possible before then. Come nephew," he said, gesturing to Zuko. "You'll need to learn some more advanced katas, if you want to help the Avatar and become his firebending teacher."

Smiling, Zuko tucked the map away, before following his uncle, elated at how well this turned out.

* * *

"Nephew," Iroh called, several hours later, peeking his head into Zuko's cabin. Zuko, who was sitting at his desk, writing down where he knew the Gaang had traveled before, so he could plan on where to help them, and where to avoid them, looked up. "We're at the first Fire Nation occupied town." Iroh informed him. "Are you ready?"

Zuko stood up from his desk, quickly strapping on his armor. "Always Uncle." He assured him, following Iroh out of the cabin.

"What's the plan?" Jee asked, as Zuko and Iroh joined the rest of the crew on the deck.

Zuko turned to them. "There won't be many Fire Nation soldiers in the town, since they don't expect anyone to try and liberate it, so we will be evenly matched. And, we have the advantage of suprise on our side. The plan is to go into the town, pretending we just want to restock our supplies, and then we can take the soldiers by suprise. The point is to incapacitate, not kill. These are still our countrymen, and the real enemy is the Fire Lord, not the simple soldiers who are just following orders. Hopefully once the villagers see what we're doing, they'll help us."

The helmsman lowered the plank, and all of the crew disembarked, Zuko noticing the scared looks they were given by the various townspeople. "Spread out," he muttered to his crew. "It will look suspicious if we stay grouped together all the time."

"I wonder if they have any tsungi horns for music night." Iroh mused to himself, as he and Zuko walked among the stalls in the market.

Zuko's eyes scanned the market, taking in the positions of two Fire Nation soldiers at the front and back of the market. "We need to pay attention to why we're here." He muttered to his uncle. "As much as you love music night, we can't get too distracted."

"There's only about ten soldiers in the entire town." Jee informed them, walking over with the cook, and trying to stay as inconspicuous as possible. "I think we can take them."

Zuko nodded. "On my signal, we'll attack."

Walking behind the Fire Nation soldier at the rear of the market with Iroh, before nodding to Jee, who was behind the soldier at the front of the market, Zuko shot a quick blast of fire at the soldier, who quickly fell, knocked out from the suprise of the attack. Jee did the same, knocking the other solider out before he could react. The other eight soldiers came running around the corner, four from either side, and they were quickly knocked out by the other crew members, who had been hiding in the crowd. In less then five minutes, the entire fight was over, and the whole town stared at Zuko and his crew in shock.

"Please," the town mayor said, coming out from the crowd. "Take whatever you want and leave. We want no trouble from the Fire Nation."

Zuko shook his head. "We aren't looking for anything from you. We've all realized that this war is wrong." He said, gesturing to the rest of the crew. "And we want to stop it. You're free from Fire Nation control."

"Are you sure this isn't some sort of trick?" The mayor asked, blinking.

Iroh stepped foreword. "My nephew is telling the truth. We came to liberate you from the Fire Nation."

One of the little boys in the crowd, with shaggy black hair and green eyes, and who reminded Zuko painfully of Lee, darted foreword. "Thank you mister." He said, grinning up at Zuko.

The crew of the _Wani_ headed back towards the ship, after perusing the stalls for supplies, smiling at the townsfolk, who waved back happily at them, and had already began to take down the Fire Nation flags and replace them with Earth Kingdom flags.

"Nephew, how do you like my new tsungi horn?" Iroh asked, holding it up happily.

Zuko sighed, shaking his head fondly. "It's lovely Uncle. One town down, many more to go." He said, staring out towards the sea.

* * *

"Has anybody noticed that Zuko's ship stopped following us?" Sokka asked, leaning over the side of Appa. "It's weird. He was trailing us for two days, and then all of a sudden, he stopped."

Katara shrugged, not looking up from Sokka's pants that she was sewing. "Maybe they hit a rough patch, or fell behind, or got blown off course."

"Or, maybe he finally realized that what the Fire Nation is doing is wrong, and that he shouldn't be pursuing me." Aang suggested from his spot at the reins on Appa's head, ever the hopeful one.

Sokka scoffed. "No way, he's Fire Nation, and a prince too. They're all bad. There is no way Zuko would ever be on our side, or could be good."


	3. Retrieving What’s Lost

_One week later..._

"How long until we get to the prison rig?" Zuko asked the helmsman, who he had since learned was named Simok, as they returned from liberating yet another town from the Fire Nation. The Navy hadn't caught onto them yet, but it would only be a matter of time.

Simok looked up at the former prince, from where he was stripping off his armor. "A couple of hours. Luckily, they won't be expecting you to have turned traitor yet. That will change when you help the Avatar at the Fire Temple."

"I'm well aware." Zuko said, nodding. "But, I'll worry about that when it arises. If my uncle is looking for me, tell him I'm in my cabin." He told the other man, before heading into the interior of the ship.

* * *

An hour later, Zuko was startled out of his meditation by the appearance of his uncle.

"I hope I'm not disturbing you too much, nephew." Iroh told him, sitting down on the bed.

Zuko smiled at him. "Never Uncle. Is there something you want?"

"Are you going to ever tell the crew about the real reason behind your change of heart?" Iroh asked him.

Zuko hesitated. "I'm not sure. I don't want to get anyone involved in this, that I don't have to, and as much as I love the crew, I know I'll have to leave them when I get Aang, Katara, and Sokka to trust me again. When we get to the Fire Temple, after we incapacitate the Fire Sages, I want you to take the crew back to the Wani and get them out of there. I trust you to find them somewhere to hide in the Earth Kingdom under new names, since they can't go back to the Fire Nation just yet. Maybe your contacts in the White Lotus can help."

"But what will you do, nephew?" Iroh asked, not showing suprise at Zuko knowing who the White Lotus are.

"I'll go with Aang, Katara, and Sokka, if they'll have me." Zuko told him. "If not, I'll find a way off the island and wait until they do trust me enough. I'll be fine, Uncle."

Iroh smiled at him. "I know you can handle yourself, Zuko. You're not the same teenage boy who was chasing the Avatar a week ago. You are stronger, and wiser, and freer than you have ever been! And now, you have come to the crossroads of your destiny."

"Thank you Uncle." Zuko said, smiling at him. "You know, you said something very similar to me once, in the Crystal Catacombs of Ba Sing Se. And I didn't listen to you then, I betrayed you, because I still believed my father loved me. And it's my biggest regret. I know now, though. Let's head out onto the deck, we're almost at the prison rig."

As the two former princes appeared on the deck, Simok and Jee turned to them. "We're about to dock on the rig." Simok told them. "And from the looks of it, the Avatar has already liberated the rig."

"Good." Zuko said, nodding. "It means we're right on schedule."

As Simok and one of the other soldiers, who was named Narun, lowered the _Wani's_ plank, the prison rig's warden walked over, flanked by two Fire Nation soldiers.

"Prince Zuko." The warden said, bowing. "What a pleasure to have you on our rig. If I'm not being too foreword, what brings you to our prison rig?"

Zuko glanced around the ship, taking noticing of the soldiers cleaning up a mess of coal, from what he assumed was the Gaang liberating the earthbenders. "I was simply in the area and wanted to check up on one of our most secure prisons. What is going on there?" He asked, gesturing to the soldiers cleaning up the coal.

"That was just an issue with our coal storage systems. I assure you, everything is completely secure." The warden quickly said.

Zuko internally smirked. "If everything is completely fine, then I don't suppose you would have a problem with me looking around the rig, just to check."

"Of course, of course." The warden agreed, glaring at his soldiers to clean up the coal faster. "Take your time."

Meandering around the rig, Zuko made his way over to where he had found Katara's necklace previously, smiling when it was laying in the exact same spot, before quickly pocketing it. Wandering around the rest of the rig, to give the appearance that he was looking for an issue, Zuko made his way back to where Jee, Simok, his uncle, the warden, and the rest of the _Wani's_ crew were.

"Since everything looks fine, we'll be on our way." Zuko told the warden, not missing the flash of relief that crossed his face. "Have a good day."

As Simok pulled the plank of the _Wani_ back on board, Iroh turned to his nephew. "Did you get what you needed?" He whispered.

"I did." Zuko confirmed, pulling Katara's necklace out of his pocket. "Now all that remains is getting this back to her, and joining them."

Jee walked over to the two of them, prompting Zuko to quickly stow the necklace in his pocket. "Crescent Island is only a day's ride away from here, according to Simok. We'll be able to free several Earth Kingdom villages on the way there, and get there in enough time to beat Zhao and bypass his blockade."

"Thank you Jee." Zuko told him. "I think things are looking up for us."

* * *

_The next day..._

"There it is, Crescent Island." Zuko said, pointing to the land in front of them, before turning to the crew. "Once we get to the island, we'll incapacitate the Fire Sages. There are prison cells in the basement of the temple, which we can use to hold them. There is one Fire Sage, his name is Shyu, that is still loyal to the Avatar, so no one knock him out. The Avatar should show up tomorrow, before noon. Before he gets there, the rest of you will go back to the Wani with my uncle. He'll help you get settled in the Earth Kingdom with new names. Until my father is defeated, it's not safe for any of you to go back to the Fire Nation."

The crew looked hesitantly at each other before, finally, Jee spoke up. "But what will you be doing? We can't just leave you there."

"I will be fine." Zuko assured him. "I'm going to join the Avatar on his quest, and become his firebending teacher."

Iroh stepped foreword. "You heard my nephew."

"I'm going to go gather my belongings." Zuko told his uncle, as the crew dispersed on the deck, before heading back to the interior of the ship.

Slipping into his cabin, Zuko grabbed a bag from under his bed, slipping his Blue Spirit mask, a White Lotus tile from Uncle, Katara's necklace, a small amount of money, his knife that Uncle had given him all those years ago, during his siege of Ba Sing Se, which he slipped into his boot like Mai had taught him, his journal with the Gaang's plans, and a little bit of food into it, and grabbing his dual dao swords from over the top of his desk, slipping them onto his back. Giving his cabin one last glance, he headed back out to the deck.

Just as he got onto the deck, Simok docked the boat, keeping it around the back side of the island, so neither Zhao nor the Gaang would notice it at first. As Zuko and the rest of the crew departed the _Wani_ , he gave his uncle one last smile, knowing he wouldn't get to see him for a while.

"There's one more thing I have to do, before we go." Zuko told the crew, before pulling the knife from his boot, and chopping his top knot off. "If I'm going to be traveling with the Avatar, I can not have such a distinctive Fire Nation hairstyle." He explained to the crew's weird looks.

Placing the knife back inside his boot, Zuko dropped the top knot into the ocean, not even looking back, as it floated gently away. As the group climbed the hill to the Fire Temple, he turned to his group. "Once we get into the temple, everyone needs to split up. I'm not sure where exactly in the temple all the sages will be, but I guarantee they aren't going to be all in one spot. Once you've incapacitated a Fire Sage, come back to the front of the Temple. Once we're sure we have all of them, we can put them in the prison cells. You all can go with Uncle after that."

Reaching the top of the hill, the crew entered the Fire Temple, finding the front entrance completely empty, and instead being faced with three tunnels. Zuko turned down the first tunnel, Simok, Narun, and a solider named Derai following him, while the cook, who was named Meron, and two other soldiers, named Yai and Ojusu followed Iroh down the middle tunnel, and two other soldiers named Chazo and Ikeno followed Jee down the third tunnel.

Moving swiftly down the tunnel, Zuko, Simok, Narun, and Derai came upon two of the Fire Sages, catching them off guard. As Simok, Narun, and Derai quickly incapacitated one of the sages, Zuko approached the other sage, lowering his hands when he realized who it was.

"Please," Shyu said, raising his hands. "If you want to arrest me for remaining loyal to the Avatar, do it. I won't stray from what I know is right, just because the Fire Lord orders me too."

Zuko raised his hand, signaling for Simok, Narun, and Derai to stop. "That's not why I'm here. The Avatar is coming to the Temple tomorrow, to speak to Avatar Roku on the Winter Solstice. I want to make sure that he gets into the sanctuary, which is why I'm having my crew incapacitate the other sages."

"But you're the Crown Prince." Shyu said, confused. "Why do you want to help the Avatar?"

Zuko sighed. "Because my father is wrong. I want to bring a stop to this war, and the only way to do so, is to help the Avatar. Come with me."

Zuko, Simok, Narun, Derai, and Shyu headed back down the hallway, the same way they came, the other Fire Sage slung over Derai's shoulder. When they arrived back in the entrance, the rest of the crew were back, the other three Fire Sages in similar positions.

"Is that Shyu?" Iroh asked, gesturing to the only remaining, conscious, Fire Sage.

Zuko nodded. "It is. You all can put the four Fire Sages in the prison cells. Shyu and I will stay here and wait for the Avatar to show up."

As the _Wani's_ crew followed Shyu down to the prison cells, Iroh turned to his nephew. "Are you sure you're going to be okay here, nephew? The Avatar and his friends may not accept you."

"That's a chance I'm willing to take, Uncle." Zuko acknowledged. "It's the only way I can save them. I have to do this. I'll miss you."

Iroh smiled at him, pulling his nephew into a hug, as the rest of the crew came back with Shyu, this time with no unconscious Fire Sages. "I'll see you when this is over."

"We'll miss you, Zuko." Simok told him, smiling at the young, former prince, that they had all grown to care for, especially in the past two weeks.

Derai grinned. "Yeah, good luck."

"Thank you." Zuko said, bowing to them. "I'm really glad you all decided to join me in my effort to stop this war."

As Iroh and Jee led the rest of the crew out of the Fire Temple and back to the _Wani_ , Shyu turned to Zuko. "What made you decide to go against your father?"

"Someone came along and made me realize that everything I ever believed is a lie. I guess I always knew, but I wanted acceptance so much, that I had been ignoring it." Zuko said, staring out the door of the temple. "It wasn't until they showed me that I could be so much more, when they showed me compassion for the first time, that I realized."

"Your uncle?" Shyu guessed.

Zuko nodded. "Yes, and a great group of friends, who accepted me for me, no matter what I did in the past. I wouldn't be where I am today if it wasn't for them."

"Are they helping you end the war?" Shyu asked.

Zuko nodded. "You could say that. I haven't seen them in a couple of weeks, and I miss them more then you could imagine."

"I hope you get to see them soon." Shyu told him.

Zuko turned to the one remaining Fire Sage. "I think I'll see them a lot sooner then you may think."

* * *

_The next day..._

"Come on, I see the Temple!" Aang called, landing Appa at the bottom of the hill, near the water. "We've got to make it there before Zhao catches us."

Katara and Sokka hopped out of the saddle, running after Aang up the hill, and the three burst into the temple. But, what they saw in front of them was not what they expected. Sitting in a meditative position in the entrance of the temple, was Prince Zuko, one of the Fire Sages standing nearby.

"You!" Katara growled, pulling some water out of the pouch on her waist. "What are you doing here?"

Zuko blinked one eye open, taking in their position in front of him, but remained mainly unsurprised by their appearance. Next to him, the Fire Sage stiffened. "Is this them?" He asked.

"It is." Zuko acknowledged, before standing up. "Come on, we don't have much time before Zhao shows up."

Katara crossed her arms. "And why would we come with you? You're going to try and capture Aang."

"I'm not going to." Zuko said, before sighing. "Look, I know we've had our differences."

Katara scoffed. "Differences? You attacked our village."

"But Zhao, he's much worse." Zuko continued, ignoring Katara. "And if we don't get to the sanctuary before Zhao gets here, Aang won't be able to talk to Avatar Roku. It's the only way."

Katara froze. "Did you just call him Aang?"

"Of course. It's his name, isn't it?" Zuko said, shrugging.

"I didn't even know his name." Shyu mused. "I just referred to him as the Avatar. Now come on, I know a shortcut to the sanctuary." He said, lighting one of the torches on the wall, which revealed a secret passage. "My grandfather, Kaja, served Avatar Roku." He explained as they walked. "At the time, the Fire Sages served the Avatar, not the Fire Lord. But overtime, they were forced to serve the Fire Lord instead. My father was executed for refusing. I always knew that when the Avatar finally returned, I would serve him, instead of the Fire Lord."

Aang looked around as they walked. "But aren't there five Fire Sages. Where are the rest of them?"

"I knew the other sages wouldn't help." Zuko explained. "So yesterday, my crew and I came and incapacitated all of them, except Shyu. They're in prison cells in the basement of the Fire Temple."

Sokka looked at him in shock. "Why? Wouldn't you want to help your father. Why are you helping us instead?"

"I was always raised to believe that the war was the Fire Nation's way of spreading our superior culture to the rest of the world. But traveling the world makes you realize things. I know now that that's wrong. Everywhere I would go, people would be scared of me, and it's not right. I want to stop this war, I want peace. That's why I'm helping you." Zuko explained.

Sokka, Katara, and Aang glanced at each other. "I think he's being sincere." Aang muttered to the two of them.

"But Aang, he's Fire Nation." Katara protested. "The same kind of people who killed my mother. He's been trying to capture you."

Sokka glanced back at Zuko. "He seems a lot different then the last time we ran into him." He pointed out. "At the very least, we could take him as a prisoner. Then we can see what he actually wants."

"We're here." Shyu told them, lighting a torch on the wall, so the stone pulled away. The five of them exited the tunnel, the stone closing behind them. "Hurry," Shyu told Aang, gesturing to the open sanctuary doors. "We don't have long before Zhao arrives."

Aang darted into the sanctuary doors, which closed behind him, leaving Shyu, Katara, Sokka, and Zuko outside. And not a moment too soon, as just then, Zhao came around the corner, flanked by Fire Nation soldiers.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't the traitor Prince." He grinned. "What have you done with the other Fire Sages?"

Zuko crossed his arms. "If you must know Zhao, my crew and I imprisoned them in the prison cells in the basement of the Fire Temple yesterday. I couldn't have them interfering with the Avatar talking to Avatar Roku."

"I think your father would love to hear how you've gone full traitor Zuko, when I bring you back to Caldera City in chains." Zhao smirked.

"I would love to see you try." Zuko told him.

The Fire Nation soldiers behind Zhao rushed foreword, blasting fire at the four of them, as Zuko did his best to dissipate it. Four soldiers converged on each of them, quickly overwhelming Sokka and Katara, and chaining them to one of the posts.

Both Shyu and Zuko fought back with fire, but as the eight soldiers who defeated Sokka and Katara came over to help, they too were chained to the posts.

"You're a little late Zhao." Zuko told him. "The Avatar is already inside the sanctuary. He'll meet with Avatar Roku."

Zhao smirked. "Well, he'll have to come out sooner or later."

"Please Aang, you better make it out of this." Sokka whispered.

Suddenly the doors began to smoke and shake, a bright light appearing behind them. Zhao and his men raised their arms, ready to fire at Aang when he came out. But as the doors slowly opened, a different sight greeted them. The large form of Avatar Roku appeared into the doorway, sweeping his arms, which dissolved the chains holding Sokka, Katara, Shyu, and Zuko. Zhao and his soldiers backed up at the sight, their eyes widening. Avatar Roku slammed his arms down, creating a large chasm in the floor of the temple, which sent lava spewing from the floor.

"Avatar Roku is going to destroy the temple!" Shyu yelled. "We have to get going."

Katara looked to where Roku was. "Not without Aang." She yelled back.

"You go." Zuko told Shyu. "We'll follow once we get Aang."

As Shyu darted out of the temple, which was almost collapsing, Avatar Roku disappeared, and Aang collapsed in his place.

"Aang!" Katara cried, picking him up. "Are you okay?"

Aang wearily blinked open his eyes. "Did I do all of that?"

"It was pretty impressive." Sokka said, appearing over Katara's shoulder. "But we need to go. This temple is going to collapse any minute."

Aang stood up and the three of them ran over to where Zuko was standing.

"Come on!" He called. "I see a way out."

Katara crossed her arms. "How do we know this isn't a trick?"

"Because I don't want to die either." Zuko said, rolling his eyes. "Besides, the longer we stand here debating this, the more the temple is going to collapse."

Aang stepped in between the two of them. "Zuko's right. Right now, I really want to focus on getting out alive. We'll figure this out then."

Sighing, Katara ran after Zuko, the four of them sprinting towards the one open window in the temple. Zuko climbed out first, holding his hand out for Katara, who sighed, but begrudgingly accepted his help.

"Appa's down there," Aang called, pointing down the hill towards where the sky bison was grazing. "Appa's my flying bison." He explained to Zuko.

"Then let's go." Sokka said. "I really don't want to be here when the temple fully collapses."

The four of them ran down the hill, Aang using his airbending to boost himself up onto Appa, and trying to hide his surprise when Zuko jumped up with no help. As soon as all four of them were on, Sokka and Katara taking a spot in the saddle as far as possible from Zuko as they could, and Aang took his spot on Appa's head, at the reins.

"Yip, yip!" He called, snapping the reins, as Appa took off from the ground.

Both Katara and Sokka tried to conceal their looks of suprise, at Zuko's look of nonchalance at the ride. As Zuko stared back at the collapsing Fire Temple, he knew it would take some work for his friends to trust him again, but if it meant saving them, it was worth it.

Aang twisted around to look at Zuko in Appa's saddle, many questions about the firebender flitting through his brain, but most importantly, what did Avatar Roku mean, when he said he sent Zuko to help them?


	4. Questions Answered

"Why did you help us Zuko?" Katara demanded, as they flew along.

Aang turned around. "I was wondering the same thing. No offense, but you've kinda been chasing us the entire time."

"Because I want to help you take down my father." Zuko replied simply, laying back against Appa's saddle.

Sokka raised an eyebrow. "Why? You said that before, but I don't understand. You're a Prince of the Fire Nation. You have everything to gain from stopping Aang."

"You're not the only one who's lost someone in this war." Zuko said, sighing. "If it wasn't for this war, my mother would still be here."

Katara, Sokka, and Aang's eyes all widened at Zuko's admission. "What happened?" Aang finally asked.

"I was eleven." Zuko admitted. "My uncle had just called off his six hundred day siege of Ba Sing Se after his son, my cousin, Lu Ten, was killed. My father asked my grandfather to revoke my uncle's birthright to the throne since he had no heirs. My grandfather was so offended, that he told my father that he would 'learn the pain of loosing his first born', and commanded my father to kill me. My sister, Azula, came in to tell me that Ozai was going to kill me, but I didn't believe her. He was going to go through with it too, until my mother made a deal with him. I still don't know what she did, but she came in that night to say goodbye to me, and I never saw her again."

Katara, Sokka, and Aang stared at Zuko in shock, not sure what to say.

"Oh my god Zuko." Katara said. "I'm so sorry, I had no idea that happened."

Aang stared at him, eyes wide. "How could your own father be okay with wanting to kill you?"

"My father's the Fire Lord, what do you expect?" Zuko said, laughing dryly. "It's okay. Uncle is more of a father to me then Ozai ever was. It's not like my father ever cared for me in the first place. He always said that my sister was 'born lucky', while I was 'lucky to be born'. It doesn't matter anyway, it's not like I can ever go home until this war is over."

Sokka turned to him. "What do you mean?"

"I'm the banished prince, what do you think it means?" Zuko questioned him. "Even going to the Fire Temple to help you out, would be enough for them to kill me."

Katara stared at him, questionably. "What do you mean you're banished? What did you do?"

"I tried to save my fellow countryman." Zuko admitted. "There was a war meeting, when I was thirteen. They originally didn't want to let me in, but I convinced uncle to let me go with him, because I said that if I was going to be the Fire Lord, I needed to know this stuff. There was a general there, who suggested using the forty-first division, to go up against one of the Earth Kingdom's strongest divisions, while some of the other divisions snuck around them. Now the forty-first division was filled with new recruits, who would be completely slaughtered. The general knew this, and still wanted to sacrifice them. I spoke up against it, and the general challenged me to Agni Kai."

Sokka turned to him. "What's an Agni Kai?"

"It's a firebender duel." Zuko explained. "I accepted, because the general was old and I thought I could beat him. But when I showed up at the Agni Kai, it wasn't the general I was facing, it was my father. Because I had spoke out in his war meeting, I had disrespected him instead. I refused to fight him, but he told me I was weak and a coward. He said to me that 'suffering would be my teacher', and he gave me this." Zuko said, pointing to his scar, and causing all three to gasp in shock. "When I woke up, I was on the _Wani_. My uncle informed me that I had been banished, and that I was only able to come back if I found the Avatar."

Aang stared in shock at him. "But that was three years ago. Katara and Sokka only found me in the ice a month ago."

"That was the point. My father never wanted me back." Zuko said, sighing. "The entire crew realized that, as did my uncle. It was the reason they came in the first place. But I was too naive at the time, to realize that my father didn't love me, and that he never wanted me back."

Sokka looked out over the ocean. "I always knew the Fire Nation was bad, but to do something like that to a child. It's despicable."

"I don't blame the citizens, nor do I want to hurt them." Zuko admitted. "I want to stop this war, because everyone has been affected by it, Fire Nation, Earth Kingdom, and Water Tribes alike. My countrymen have no control over what my father has chosen to do, and I don't blame them."

Katara turned to him. "So that's why you decided to help us?"

"It is." Zuko said, nodding. "I was hoping to join you, and become Aang's firebending master, if you would have me."

Aang grinned at him. "Of course. But we have to go to the Northern Water Tribe first, so Katara and I can find a waterbending master, and then I need to find an earthbending master, before I even think about firebending, so I hope you are okay with traveling with us for a while."

"I'm perfectly fine with it." Zuko assured them, before remembering something. "That reminds me, I have something for you."

Reaching into his bag, he pulled out Katara's necklace, and handed it to her, who gasped in surprise. "Where did you find it?" She asked, shocked.

"My uncle and I stopped at that prison rig you freed, to check it out." Zuko explained. "When I was wandering around, I found it on the floor and recognized it at yours, so I grabbed it to give it to you when I saw you next."

Katara smiled gratefully at him. "Thank you Zuko."

"Look at this, us and a jerkbender getting along. Imagine that." Sokka grinned

Zuko rolled his eyes at Sokka's comment, and Aang laughed, turning back to the reins. "We should probably find somewhere to camp for the night." He suggested. "It's getting dark soon."

"How about there?" Sokka suggested, leaning over Appa's saddle. "It's a large open clearing, and there's a river next to it."

Nodding, Aang guided Appa down to the ground, landing gently in the center of the clearing. As the group hopped out of the saddle, Aang turned to Zuko.

"Since you don't have a tent yet, you'll have to share with one of us." Aang informed him. "We can go into town tomorrow, and get you a tent and bedroll."

Zuko nodded. "That's fine. I'll share with Sokka, if you don't mind." He said, turning to the other boy.

"I'm fine with it." Sokka said, shrugging.

Katara looked up from where she was gathering sticks for the fire. "Hey Zuko, would you be able to light the fire? That should work a lot better then our spark rocks."

Zuko walked over to where Katara had laid the sticks down for the fire, quickly lighting them, and getting a descent fire going.

"Where are we going next?" Zuko asked, as they all sat around the fire, Katara cooking their food.

Aang pulled a map of the world out of his bag, glancing at it. "Tomorrow, we'll travel to this town, so we can get more supplies, and a tent and bedroll for Zuko." Aang explained, pointing to a spot on the map. "Then, we'll travel through these woods and cross the Great Divide. It's the largest canyon in the world." He explained to Zuko. "After that, we continue heading north, stopping at towns when we need to resupply, before arriving at the North Pole." Aang finished, snapping the map shut.

"If all goes well, we should be there in less than a month." Katara told him.

Aang glanced at Zuko, a question written on his face. Finally, Zuko snapped. "Why are you staring at me?" He demanded.

"There's something you aren't telling us." Aang accused. "What is it?"

Zuko sighed. "I'll tell you, eventually, but not yet. It's not something I really want to talk about."

Accepting his answer, both Sokka and Katara turned away, but Aang didn't, still thinking about what it could be that Zuko was hiding. And somehow, he had a feeling it has something to do with what Avatar Roku told him.

* * *

_The next day..._

Sokka was startled awake the next morning, by Momo sitting on his face.

"Momo! Get off of me!" Sokka cried, sitting up and startling the lemur, who flew out of the tent.

Rubbing his eyes, Sokka climbed out of the tent, too awake to go back to sleep. Zuko, who had already gotten a fire started, looked up, Momo perched on his shoulder.

"What are you doing up?" Sokka asked him. "It's so early."

"Firebenders rise with the sun." Zuko explained, feeding the fire more. "I've been up since dawn."

Sokka sat down across him, watching the fire. "I never knew that. I guess it's because my only contact with firebenders, before now, has been the raids on our village."

"Firebenders aren't all bad. Our leaders have just made bad decisions, and we lost our honor. I guess that's why I want to bring down my father." Zuko admitted. "For the longest time, I thought I had to restore my honor, when I really need to restore the honor of the Fire Nation."

Aang and Katara came around the corner, both wet from their waterbending practice, effectively cutting off Sokka and Zuko's conversation.

"We should probably head into town after breakfast." Aang suggested, using his airbending to dry himself off. "We should be out of here as soon as we can, so we can get going."

* * *

As soon as they had all finished breakfast, Katara used her waterbending to put out the fire, and Zuko grabbed his bag from the tent he and Sokka shared the night before, along with his dual dao swords.

"We'll walk to the town." Aang told them, as soon as everyone had come back with their belongings. "Taking Appa would draw too much attention."

As the group set out for the town, Sokka turned to Zuko, his eyes alighting on his swords. "Do you think you could teach me how to sword fight? I learned a little bit from Suki. She's one of the female warriors on Kyoshi Island." He explained. "I just feel a little useless as the only nonbender."

"If I'm going to teach you, you'll need a sword." Zuko told him. "Your club and boomerang work great, but if you're going to sword fight, you need a sword. Maybe they'll have something at the market."

As they walked into the town, Aang turned to them. "Let's split up. Katara and I will go find some food, while Sokka and Zuko can go look for a new tent and bedroll for Zuko, and a sword for Sokka. We'll meet back here."

"What kind of sword do you think I should get?" Sokka asked, as the two boys walked through the market.

Zuko pulled his swords off his back, running his hand over the blade. "Every sword is different, so a different type of sword works for each swordsman. You should pick the sword that feels right to you, because the swords are an extension of yourself."

"Wow Zuko, I never knew you knew so much about swords." Sokka said, surprised.

Zuko resheathed his swords, putting them back on his back. "They aren't my words. When I was younger, I was taught how to sword fight by a master. I was never as good at firebending as my sister, but swords were something I was actually good at. They were one of the few things Azula actually complemented me on."

"Is Azula your sister?" Sokka asked.

Zuko nodded. "She's two years younger then me, and nothing like me at all. She's mean, cruel, and much like our father."

"Yikes." Sokka winced, turning back to the market stall. "What about this one?" He questioned the merchant, holding up a long bladed sword made out of a dark metal.

From behind him, Zuko inwardly grinned, recognizing the sword as extremely similar to Sokka's space sword that he would make with Master Piandao.

"Ah, you have a good eye young man." The merchant told him. "But I must warn you, that sword is said to be cursed."

Sokka raised an eyebrow at him. "Cursed? What do you mean?"

"No one knows where it comes from." The merchant elaborated. "And every person who buys it, ends up returning it a few days later, because of some problem or another. There's even a story that it's from Avatar Roku himself."

Sokka shrugged. "I'm not afraid of some sword. How much is it?"

"Ten copper pieces." The merchant told him. "But you've been warned."

Sokka pulled the copper pieces out of his pocket, and handed them to the merchant, who gave him the sword. Zuko smiled at the exchange took place. Next time he mediated, he would have to have a talk with his great-grandfather about giving Sokka his space sword back, and cursing others who weren't Sokka.

"Can you believe that guy?" Sokka scoffed, as they walked away. "As if a sword could be cursed."

Zuko shook his head. "Come on. Let's go get my tent and bed roll. We should probably also get me some Earth Kingdom clothes. I don't want to be walking around in Fire Nation robes, if we run into someone from the Earth Kingdom Army." He pointed out, gesturing to his red robe.

* * *

_Thirty minutes later..._

"I wonder where Katara and Aang are." Sokka said, as he and Zuko arrived back at the meeting place.

Zuko shrugged. "Maybe they're still getting food."

"Run! We need to go!" A voice yelled behind them, and Zuko and Sokka turned around to see Katara and Aang running from what looked to be pirates.

Sprinting, Zuko and Sokka took off into the woods, Katara and Aang quickly catching up to them, with the help of Aang's airbending.

"What happened?" Zuko demanded, as he and Sokka threw their tents up onto Appa, and jumped up, taking off just in time, before the pirates arrived in the clearing.

Aang shrugged. "I don't know. We were looking around at all their stuff, and after we left, they took off after us."

"Maybe it's because I took this!" Katara said, producing a scroll from her pocket, and causing Aang, Sokka, and Zuko's jaws to all drop.

"Did you steal that?" Sokka demanded.

Katara held her hands up in surrender. "Yes, but it's a waterbending scroll Sokka. Aang and I need it to learn waterbending. Besides, they're pirates. They most likely stole this from one of our people."

"Katara has a point." Zuko agreed, shocking them all. "What? Aang and Katara need to learn waterbending, and they were pirates. People do way worse things in war, then steal from pirates."

Sokka sighed. "Fine, but we shouldn't do this again."

"I promise I won't steal from anyone else, unless they're pirates." Katara told him, causing everyone to laugh.


	5. Wheat Really Isn’t a Good Look on You

_The next day..._

"Does anyone know where Momo is?" Katara asked the next morning, as she packed up their camp.

Zuko looked up from putting out the campfire. "No, I haven't seen him all morning."

"Momo!" Aang called, bouncing through the forest. "Where did you go?"

Sokka looked up from rolling up his bedroll. "He probably just went off to find some nuts. I'm sure he's fine."

"Momo!" Aang cried, spotting the lemur trapped in a trap, along with several hog-monkeys. "I'll get you down."

He bounced up the tree, quickly untying Momo's cage, which sent the lemur crashing to the ground, and braking the cage, allowing him to escape. He went to untie the hog-monkeys too, when Sokka threw his boomerang, cutting through the rope and freeing the hog-monkeys, who ran off into the woods.

Sokka shrugged. "It was taking too long."

"These are Fire Nation traps." Zuko said, bending over to pick one up. "We should be careful. There could be soldiers nearby."

Sokka nodded. "Exactly what I was thinking. We should probably walk. Appa could attract too much attention."

The group had barely gotten far, when they were all of a sudden surrounded by figures in the trees.

"Anybody have any ideas?" Sokka asked, raising his boomerang.

Katara looked around. "Just stay calm. Maybe they're part of the Earth Kingdom army."

"Who are you?" A voice asked. "And what are you doing in our woods?" He asked, coming out of the shadows. He couldn't be any older than them, with darker skin, brown hair, black eyes, and a sprig of wheat sticking out of his mouth.

From behind Katara, Zuko inwardly groaned. He remembered meeting Jet in Ba Sing Se, and the other boy had tragically given his life so they could get out of Lake Laogai. But from what he remembered, Jet had changed since the Gaang had first met him, when he was willing to sacrifice innocent civilians to get rid of the Fire Nation, and Zuko had no reason to believe he had changed yet. But unfortunately, there was no way he could tell his friends that, without them questioning it.

"I'm Aang. I'm the Avatar and these are my friends." Aang said, stepping forward.

Katara waved. "I'm Katara."

"I'm Lee." Zuko introduced, using the name he had gone by when hiding with uncle in the Earth Kingdom, and in Ba Sing Se, grateful he had bought the Earth Kingdom clothes.

Sokka nodded to Jet. "I'm Sokka, and this is Appa and Momo." He said, indicating to the two of them. Momo flew over to Aang, landing on his shoulder.

"I'm Jet." The other boy said, introducing himself. "And these are my Freedom Fighters." He indicated to the shadows, who slowly came out of the trees, revealing themself as children, much of them younger then Jet himself. Out of them, Zuko recognized Smellerbee and Longshot, who had come with Jet to Ba Sing Se. "Sorry for our behavior earlier, but there are a lot of Fire Nation soldiers in these woods. I'm sure you've seen their traps. We assumed you were one of them."

Aang nodded. "We've seen the traps. It's why we were walking, instead of flying on Appa."

"Why don't you come back to our hideout and spend the night?" Jet suggested. "It would be an apology for the misunderstanding, and it would be a honor to host the Avatar."

Aang glanced back towards the Gaang, who all shrugged in response, Zuko pushing down his uneasiness at Jet's presence.

"Sure," Aang finally agreed. "Lead the way."

The Gaang followed Jet and his Freedom Fighters through the forest, stopping in an open clearing. Several ropes, with handles on the end, dropped down from the trees.

"Grab on." Jet told them. "I have Freedom Fighters at the top who will pull you up."

Aang snapped open his glider. "I'll just fly up there, if you don't mind. It's much easier." He told Jet, before pushing off from the ground and soaring up into the sky, disappearing into the foliage.

Zuko and Sokka both grabbed onto the ropes, which pulled them up through the trees, depositing them onto a labyrinth of wooden walkways, canvas huts littered on different platforms, which stretched out into the forest.

"Welcome to our hideout." Jet said, spreading his arms out. "You all can stay in this hut for tonight." He said, indicating one of the empty huts. "I hope you will stay for a little while. We have a big mission tomorrow, that I think all of you will like."

Zuko shook his head. "Thanks for the offer Jet, but we really need to get going. We have to get Katara and Aang to the North Pole, so they can learn waterbending."

"I think we can stay for a day, Lee." Aang said. "It would be good training for all of us to go on this mission."

Zuko fought the urge to facepalm at Aang's comment. If what he was told was correct, Jet was planning on flooding a Fire Nation occupied Earth Kingdom village, killing the civilians in the process, which was something none of them wanted to be involved in.

"Why don't you come down and eat with us?" Jet suggested. "We can talk about the details of the mission later."

Aang glanced at the others. "That would be great. We're starving."

"Follow me, I'll lead the way." Jet told them.

The Gaang followed Jet down a set of ladders that were attached to one of the tree trunks, and onto the walkways below. He led them through the winding paths, until they reached a platform that was much larger then the others, with a wooden table in the center. Many of the Freedom Fighters were already gathered around the table, food in the center, while the ones who didn't fit at the table, were all nearby, sitting on the other platforms or in the trees themselves. The Gaang took a seat at the open spots at the table, near the front where Jet would be sitting.

"We're gathered here today, to celebrate the Avatar!" Jet announced, standing up on the table and raising his glass. "Who after one hundred years, has come back to help us deal the final blow to the Fire Nation, and end the One Hundred Years War for good! To Aang!" He cheered, prompting an outburst of applause and calls from the assembled Freedom Fighters. "With your help, the Fire Nation won't see it coming! We'll be unstoppable, and finally stop the villainy and tyranny of the Fire Nation! To Aang! To the Avatar! To freedom!" He cheered.

Applause and cries sounded from the Freedom Fighters around. Zuko fought down the uneasiness at the speech, and clapped alongside his friends, purposely avoiding the look Sokka was shooting him.

Jet climbed down from the table, and sat in between Katara and Sokka, the former of whom turned to him in excitement. "That was an amazing speech, Jet." She complemented.

"Thank you. I kinda have experience with giving speeches like that, with running the Freedom Fighters and all." He told her.

Aang looked around in surprise. "Do you all live here?"

Jet nodded. "All of us lost our parents to the Fire Nation, in someway or another. My village was burned down with I was eight. A lot of the other Freedom Fighters were in similar positions, and we banded together, somewhere where the Fire Nation can't find us."

"They'd love to find you, Jet." Smellerbee commented, leaning over.

Jet grinned. "They really would. There's a Earth Kingdom town in the valley, that they conquered about five years ago. We've been making their lives hell ever since. Sabotaging supply lines, blowing up their weapons, things like that."

"Speaking of the Fire Nation, what is the mission you were talking about?" Zuko asked, leaning over.

Jet turned to him. "We recently learned that the Fire Nation is planning on burning down this forest. If Katara and Aang can fill the reservoir with their waterbending, we'll be able to fight them."

"Of course we'll help, Jet." Aang said, grinning.

Sokka sighed. "Fine. But we'll have to leave right after tomorrow. We have our own mission, after all."

"That's fine with me." Jet said, standing up. "I'll let you all go to bed. You're probably tired from traveling all day."

As Aang and Katara headed back to the hut, Zuko pulled Sokka aside. "I don't trust Jet." He admitted.

"Neither do I." Sokka told him. "Something about him just doesn't sit right with me. Both Aang and Katara seem to trust him, but my instincts are telling me something's wrong."

Zuko nodded. "I'll look around tomorrow. I feel like there's something more with this mission then he's telling us. I know the Fire Nation, and I've never heard of them burning down an abandoned forest. That only happens when there's a village in it, but from what Jet said, the village is at the bottom of the valley, not in the forest."

"Let's go to bed." Sokka suggested. "There's nothing more we can do tonight."

Sokka and Zuko headed back, joining Katara and Aang in the hut. But as Zuko drifted off to sleep, the only thing going through his head was how to stop Jet, and how to make sure he didn't learn he was Fire Nation. Last time, it was Uncle heating his tea, but there was no uncle this time. But Zuko hadn't missed the looks Jet kept shooting him during dinner. He had no idea how Jet suspected anything, but he would try his hardest to make sure he didn't learn the truth.

* * *

_The next day..._

Zuko woke up as dawn began to break through the tent, everyone else still fast asleep, as per usual. Creeping out of the tent, Zuko did his best to make sure he didn't wake anyone else up. As he exited the tent, stretching in the sun light, a voice from beside him startled him.

"You're up early."

Zuko jumped, turning to see Jet leaning up against the hut. "Oh Jet, you scared me." Zuko told him. "And yeah, I guess I've always been a morning person."

"Do you know that firebenders rise with the sun?" Jet asked him.

Zuko tilted his head. "Yeah, I knew that. What does that have to do with anything?"

"Those are pretty interesting eyes you have there, Lee." Jet pointed out. "I've never met anyone with golden eyes in the Earth Kingdom. That's usually a color reserved for the Fire Nation."

Zuko's breath caught, realizing he probably should have come up with some way to hide his eyes. "I'm from one of the Fire Nation colonies in the Earth Kingdom. My father was Fire Nation, but my mother was Earth Kingdom. He was not a nice man, he took my mother as his wife when he took over the town where she lived. He's the one who gave me this." Zuko said, pointing to his scar.

"We've all been hurt by the Fire Nation." Jet said, his voice becoming much more sympathetic. "I'm sorry for assuming. You just can never be too careful these days."

Zuko waved it off. "It's fine Jet. I understand where you're coming from. I guess being raised in a town where half of the citizens are Fire Nation, causes you to develop some habits, such as getting up early."

The flap of the hut opened, and Sokka walked out, yawning. "Hey Lee, Jet." He said, waving to them. "Was there anything you needed?" He asked Jet.

"Not really." Jet told him. "Just coming to check on you. Tell Katara and Aang, when they get up, that we're going to leave for the mission after breakfast."

As soon as Jet was gone, Sokka turned to Zuko. "What did Jet actually want?"

"I think he was getting suspicious of me." Zuko told him. "He asked about my eye color, and about why I'm up so early. I told him I'm half Fire Nation, from the Earth Kingdom colonies, which is why I adopted some of their customs, such as getting up early. I think he believed it, but we'll have to be careful." Zuko reached just inside the hut, grabbing his swords and swinging them over his back. "I'm going to see if I can find out any other information about the mission." He told Sokka, before jogging off down the walkway.

Zuko hurried down the walkways, passing huts with their flaps still drawn, most of the inhabitants still asleep. Spotting Jet on one of the lower platforms with Smellerbee and Longshot, Zuko ducked behind a tree, out of sight, listening in on their conversation.

"I talked to Lee." Jet told his two Freedom Fighters, as they loaded barrels of what looked like blasting jelly onto the carts. "He claims that he's half Fire Nation, and from the Fire Nation colonies in the Earth Kingdom, but I don't fully trust him."

Smellerbee turned to him. "C'mon Jet. I think he's fine. The Avatar trusts him, so he can't be bad."

"Aang is naive." Jet pointed out. "He may not know his friend is half Fire Nation. And besides, the Fire Nation are all bad, even half Fire Nation teenagers like Lee."

Smellerbee shrugged. "We already decided to not tell any of them about our plan to blow up the reservoir, and flood the town, because they would be against it. As long as he doesn't get in the way, what's the harm?"

"I suppose you're right." Jet said, sighing. "Come on, let's get this blasting jelly to the reservoir, so we can be back by the time Katara and Aang get up."

As the three of them disappeared into the trees, Zuko's eyes widened. It seems like Jet's plan to blow up the reservoir and flood the town was still happening. Darting back the way he came, Zuko knew he had to warn Sokka.

"Did you find out what the real mission is?" Sokka asked, as Zuko came running back.

Zuko nodded. "Jet is going to have Katara and Aang fill up the reservoir, and then blow it up, to flood the town, and he has no plan to get the villagers out. It'll get rid of the Fire Nation troops, but it'll also kill the innocent civilians."

"I knew something about Jet didn't sit right with me." Sokka muttered. "Katara and Aang will never believe me."

Zuko thought for a second, before his eyes widened. "The Fire Nation troops won't believe you if you try and tell them, but they should believe me."

"Are you sure you're okay with that?" Sokka asked. "It'll require exposing yourself as Fire Nation."

Zuko nodded. "It's the only way we can get them out, and Jet doesn't need to find out exactly how we got the villagers out."

"Let's get going." Sokka agreed. "We'll need the time to get the villagers out, and warn them of Jet's plan."

Just then, the flap of the hut opened, and Katara and Aang walked out. "Hey Lee, Sokka." Aang said, greeting them. "Have you seen Jet? We were going to go on the mission this morning."

"He said you would go after breakfast." Zuko told them, grabbing his bag from inside the hut. "I talked to him this morning."

Sokka ducked into the hut, grabbing their belongings and coming out a few seconds later. "What are you doing Sokka?" Katara asked him.

"We should leave after the mission." Sokka told her. "I'm just grabbing our supplies, so I can put it on Appa. That way we can leave right away."

Aang pouted. "Aw, but it's fun here."

"We still have to get to the North Pole." Zuko pointed out, climbing down one of the ladders with Sokka. "We don't have the time to hang around here."

Katara stared at them quizzically, as they climbed down. "Are you two going with us and Jet?" She asked.

"Jet has us going to the reservoir." Zuko lied. "We'll see you after the mission is over." As the two of them landed on the forest floor, Zuko turned to Sokka. "Well, that was close."

Sokka nodded. "Let's put this stuff on Appa, and then get down to the village."

Throwing their belongings up into Appa's saddle, who was laying down in the clearing below the hideout, the two boys hurried through the forest, and down the hill to the village below. As soon as they entered the village, they were quickly surrounded by the seven or eight Fire Nation soldiers that guarded the entire town.

"State your business." The lead Fire Nation solider commanded them, raising his hand in a firebending stance.

Sokka pointed up the hill. "There's a group of kids in the woods who are planning on blowing up the reservoir in an hour. The water is going to flood the entire town, you all need to get out of here, now."

"And why should we believe you?" The solider asked, crossing his arms. "You're probably one of their spies, who want us to leave so they can burn down this town."

Zuko stepped foreword. "Because I vouch for him. My name is Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation, son of Fire Lord Ozai and Princess Ursa." He revealed, summoning a small flame in his palm. "And what Sokka is saying is true. They really are going to flood this valley."

"My lord, I apologize." The solider stuttered. "I didn't recognize you. Please forgive me."

Zuko waved it off. "It's fine. Right now, we need to get these people out. I'm not sure how much time we have left."

With the help of the Fire Nation soldiers, Sokka and Zuko evacuated the town, moving all the villagers up the hill, and not a moment too soon. Just as they got everyone up the hill, a boom sounded, and the reservoir burst, sending water down the hill and through the town. The villagers watched on in sadness, as their homes were engulfed in water.

The head solider turned to Sokka and Zuko. "Thank you for warning everyone. Is there anything we can do to repay you?"

"You don't have to do anything." Zuko told him. "You all lost everything."

Sokka leaned over. "I'm sorry to cut this short, but we have to go."

The two boys ran up the hill, appearing over the crest just to see Katara yelling at Jet, the other boy incased in ice.

"All those people, are dead because of you!" She yelled at him.

Zuko cleared his throat, causing Aang and Katara to whip around. "Actually, they aren't. I overheard Jet talking to Smellerbee and Longshot about his plan this morning. I told Sokka and the two of us ran down to the village. We were able to convince the Fire Nation soldiers that we weren't lying, and got everyone out of the village in time."

"You monster." Jet hissed at him, as Sokka disappeared to grab Appa. "It's because you're Fire Nation isn't it? That's why you warned the villagers. Thanks to you, this valley won't ever be free."

Zuko shook his head. "I may be Fire Nation Jet, but you're the monster for wanting to flood this valley. I warned the villagers, because I don't want to see more innocent civilians killed by this war. If we killed those villagers, we're no better then the Fire Nation."

"Goodbye Jet." Katara said sadly, as they all climbed on Appa, Aang at the reins. "I'm sorry I trusted you."

As they flew away on Appa, Katara and Aang turned to Zuko and Sokka. "How did you actually get them to leave? I don't think they would be convinced without proof that you aren't lying." Katara asked.

"I told them who I was." Zuko told her. "When their Prince tells them something, they'll believe it."

Aang chuckled. "I guess there really is an advantage of having you with us."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since I got a lot of comments about how the Fire Sages and Shyu escaped on my last chapter, I'm going to address it. They're all fine, but what actually happened to them is going to be addressed next chapter, so I didn't forget about them.
> 
> Also, fun little story that I decided to share. I play Quizbowl, which is basically like Jeopardy, and I ended up getting an Avatar question, right while I was writing this story, which wasn't what I was expecting.


	6. The White Lotus

_Four days earlier..._

"Are we really going to leave, Iroh?" Jee asked, as the _Wani's_ crew gathered back on the ship after Zuko sent them away.

Iroh shook his head. "I know my nephew. He believes he has to do everything himself, when he doesn't. We'll stay here until tomorrow, and then we can head towards the Earth Kingdom. If something happens where Zuko needs our help, we'll be here. Now, who wants to play Pai Sho?" He asked, perking up.

* * *

_The next day..._

Iroh looked up from his cup of tea, and the Pai Sho game he was playing with Derai, when an explosion sounded from the island, rocking the small boat that was still marooned around the back of Crescent Island. Turning around, Iroh looked to see lava spewing out of the volcano.

"Do you think that qualifies as something that Zuko would need our help with?" Derai asked.

Iroh nodded. "Unfortunately, there's not much we can do. I just pray my nephew knows what he's doing."

As the rest of the crew emerged from the inside of the ship, watching the island, Iroh spotted Commander Zhao fleeing the collapsing Fire Temple, his soldiers escorting the Fire Sages with them.

"Should we go after them?" Narun asked.

Iroh shook his head. "Zhao is going to be too concerned about getting away, to worry about us. The important thing now, is making sure my nephew gets out."

"Iroh, I think that's Shyu." Simok called, from his spot on the mast.

Looking up, Iroh spotted the familiar figure of the Fire Sage who had helped them. "Get on here!" He called, lowering the plank so the other man could get on.

"I thought Prince Zuko told you to go." Shyu said, confused.

Iroh smiled. "As if I was going to completely listen to my nephew. Is he okay? What happened?"

"The Avatar went into the sanctuary and came out as Avatar Roku, who began destroying everything." Shyu told them. "Prince Zuko told me to leave, and he was going to escape on the bison, with the two Water Tribe children and the Avatar."

Just then, a familiar figure shot out, away from the temple. Even from this distance, Iroh could spot Zuko on the back of Appa, along with Aang, Katara, and Sokka. Pulling back the plank, he turned to Jee.

"We should leave. This island is going to be covered with lava any minute." Nodding, Jee ran to the cabin, ready to speed the Wani out of there, and Iroh turned to Shyu. "You can come with us. Some of my contacts are going to give the crew new names in the Earth Kingdom, where they can hide until the war is over, and they can go back to the Fire Nation."

Shyu nodded. "I'll come with you. If I go back to the Fire Nation now, I'll be labeled a traitor and killed."

Ojusu pulled the anchor up, and Jee steered the _Wani_ away from the island, towards the Earth Kingdom coastline, just as the volcano erupted, burying the island in lava, and completely destroying the Fire Temple.

* * *

_Two days later..._

Jee carefully steered the _Wani_ into the port of Goyudi Village, docking it, as Iroh called Shyu and the rest of the crew to the deck of the ship.

"I have a contact that I'm meeting here." He told them. "I'll go and get your names from him, and then come back to the ship. It will be way too suspicious if we all go together. After I come back and give you your names, I'll give you the rest of the share of your payment, and you may all go your separate ways."

Jee stepped foreword. "Thank you Iroh. It's been a honor working with you."

"And you Jee." Iroh told him, bowing. "Now, I'll be back soon."

Iroh stepped off the ship, making his way through the streets of Goyudi, before he stopped outside the tavern where he was meeting his contact, named The Golden Turtleduck. Stepping inside, Iroh's heart ached at the thought of Zuko, who was far away by now with the Avatar. Pushing away thoughts of his nephew, Iroh approached a man at the Pai Sho table.

"May I have this game?" He asked.

The man gestured towards the table. "The guest has the first move." As Iroh placed down the White Lotus tile, the man looked up at him. "I see you favor the White Lotus gambit. Not many still cling to the ancient ways." He told Iroh, bowing.

"Those who do can always find a friend." Iroh told him, holding his hands out.

The man nodded. "Then let us play."

One by one, they placed each of the tiles down, until they formed the shape of a White Lotus.

"Welcome brother," The man said, spreading his hands out. "The White Lotus opens wide to those who know her secrets." Reaching into his bag, he pulled out some papers, discreetly handing them to Iroh.

Iroh nodded. "Thank you for the game, brother. It was a pleasant time."

Standing up, Iroh bowed to the other man, and left the tavern. As he walked back up onto the Wani, the crew turned to him.

"Did you get our new names?" Derai asked, standing up.

Iroh nodded, passing out each of the papers. "Papers for all of you, they'll allow you to disappear into the Earth Kingdom."

"How will we know when it's safe to come back?" Simok asked.

Iroh turned to him. "When this war is over, and Zuko has taken his place on the throne, instead of his father, you may all come back to the Fire Nation. Until then, it's much safer to stay in the Earth Kingdom."

Heading into the interior of the ship, Iroh pulled out the store of money, and brought it back to the crew. As he gave each crew member their share of payment, each of them thanked him profusely, and left the ship, until only Shyu remained.

"I'm sorry that I can't give you as much money as the others." Iroh apologized.

Shyu waved it off. "I completely understand. You still need money for yourself. Even getting me off the island was enough. But where will you go?"

"I hear that the North Pole is a lovely place to visit this time of year." Iroh said, smiling. "Goodbye Shyu."

Shyu waved to him, as he walked off the _Wani_. "Goodbye Iroh. And it's Besho now."

"Then it's Mushi now." Iroh told him, leaving the _Wani_ for the last time, his bag slung over his shoulder.


	7. The Truth Revealed

"I didn't realize how much I missed flying." Sokka commented, leaning up against Appa's saddle. "Between having to walk through the forest, and the Great Divide, I've had enough of walking for a while."

Aang looked behind him. "Don't worry Sokka. We should be able to fly the rest of the way to the North Pole, except for stopping for supplies."

"About that," Katara spoke up. "We need to find a market. We're out of food."

Sokka groaned. "I had to say something."

"We'll have to stop eventually, anyway Sokka." Zuko pointed out.

Aang pointed below them. "We're in luck. There's a town right there."

Aang guided Appa down towards the town, gently landing in the ocean, where a boat would be tied.

"Come on." Katara said, hopping off Appa. "Let's go find some food."

As Sokka, Katara, and Aang headed towards the market, Zuko stared out at the ocean, contemplating. He knew he should tell them about what happened in the future. After all, if they knew, it would make Zuko's life a lot easier, since he wouldn't have to hide what he had to do. But if he told them, who knows how they would treat him, and it would mean having to relive one of the worst days of his life.

Looking back at Aang, Katara, and Sokka, smiles on their faces as they walked around the market, Zuko knew he would do anything to keep them like this. Like the way he remembered his friends, instead of the horror and fear, the last time he saw them alive. Even if he had to tell them everything, he would do it, so that horrible day wouldn't come to past again.

Zuko walked back to where the rest of the Gaang was, just in time to see Aang take off on his glider.

"What's going on?" He asked Katara, coming to stand next to her.

Katara sighed. "That man was mean to Aang for no reason." She said, glaring at the old fisherman. "And Aang took off. Come on, we need to find him before this storm comes in." She told Sokka and Zuko.

Hopping onto Appa, the three of them took off after Aang. They had barely gotten halfway up the mountain, when it started pouring, quickly soaking both of them. As the sky got darker, Zuko lit a small flame in his palm, hoping to be able to see Aang. Spotting Aang in a small cave on the side of the mountain, Katara steered Appa towards it. As soon as they landed, Katara, Zuko, and Sokka ran into the cave, spotting Aang sitting in the center.

"I'm sorry for running off." He apologized to them.

Katara smiled gently at him. "No, that man was out of line."

"Yeah, it's not your fault that you were frozen in an iceberg for one hundred years." Sokka agreed.

Noticing Aang begin to shiver, Zuko turned to them. "I'm going to start a fire. We don't want anyone to get sick because of the rain."

As Zuko gathered some small sticks laying around the cave, and lit a small fire in his palm, Aang sighed. "No, he was right. I did run away."

"What are you talking about?" Katara asked, sitting down next to the small campfire that Zuko had started.

Aang looked up at the four of them, as Momo climbed onto his shoulder. "I never told any of you how I became stuck in that iceberg in the first place. It was about a month before the Air Nomad genocide, and the monks knew war was coming. Normally the Avatar isn't told until they're sixteen, but the monks decided to tell me then. At first, I didn't know what to think when they told me. But, everything began to change. The rest of the boys at the temple stopped playing with me, because they thought it was unfair for whatever team I was playing on, since I was the Avatar. The monks made me train more then before, since they wanted me to be ready. Monk Gyatso was the only one who still thought I should be a kid. Eventually, the monks decided we needed to be separated. They were going to send me to the Eastern Air Temple, when I overheard. That was the night I ran away. There was a storm and I activated the Avatar State to protect myself and Appa. Next thing I know, I was waking up in your arms, Katara."

The cave was quiet for the longest time until finally, Zuko spoke up. "You're not the only one who has a story they're hiding, Aang."

"Is this the part where you tell us the one thing you've been hiding this whole time?" Aang asked, turning to him.

Zuko nodded. "Yeah, but it's not a story I particularly want to talk about. I'm from the future."

"How?" Sokka asked, shocked. "Time-travel is impossible."

Zuko sighed. "Apparently, it's not."

"When are you from?" Aang asked.

"A week after Sozin's Comet." Zuko told them.

Katara sucked in a breath. "Something happened, didn't it?"

"Yeah, we lost." Zuko said bitterly. "Katara and I had gone to defeat my sister, Azula, and I challenged her to an Agni Kai. Everything was going fine, I was actually winning, until my sister cheated. She shot lightning at Katara, and I wasn't fast enough to catch it." Zuko blinked back tears. "I never actually learned exactly what happened to you, Aang, but my father killed you in your battle. Sokka, Suki, and Toph, she's going to be Aang's earthbending teacher, went to take down the Fire Nation's airships, but they were captured. The Fire Nation executed them in the center of Caldera City, like some big spectacle. My uncle and some of the other adults were killed too, trying to retake Ba Sing Se. I had to watch nearly all of my friends be killed, and I was the only one who survived. It was like some big cosmic joke. I was the one who deserved to die, not everyone else, but I was the only one alive. I think Mai and Ty Lee were killed for betraying my sister, but I never found out, and I never found out what happened to the rest of our friends either. About a week after, I was meditating in some forest in the former Earth Kingdom. It was one of the few places still standing, since the Fire Nation burnt everything the night of Sozin's Comet, when Avatar Roku came to me. He's my great-grandfather, my mother's grandfather, which is why my grandfather had my father marry her. He told me he could send me back, to fix everything that happened, and I accepted. Next thing I know, I'm waking up on the Wani again."

For the longest time, the three of them stared at him in shock. Finally, Katara spoke up. "Oh my god Zuko, that's horrible."

"I can't believe we lost." Aang muttered, staring down at his feet.

Sokka looked up. "You should tell us everything that happened exactly. That way, we can figure out how to stop your future from happening."

"Okay," Zuko agreed. "But I'll warn you, it's not a very good story. The first thing is, I didn't change sides till much, much later. I was obsessed with capturing Aang, because I thought if I did, my father would love me and restore my honor. I ended up chasing you to Kyoshi Island, where I burned down the village. You all fled and went to Omashu, while I tried unsuccessfully to track you." He chuckled. "At the time, I thought you were a master of evasive maneuvers, but I realized much later that you were just bouncing from place to place, not knowing where you were going. You all then went to Haru's village, and freed the earthbenders from the prison rig like this time, and I arrived after you left and found Katara's necklace, except I used it to track you, instead of giving it back. I followed you to the Fire Temple, and tried to capture Aang again, but Avatar Roku destroyed the temple and I had to flee instead. After that, I joined the pirates in trying to capture you, but it didn't work. You all then ended up meeting Jet and the Freedom Fighters, and Jet tried to flood the village."

Sokka tilted his head at him. "Is that how you knew what Jet was planning?"

"Not really," Zuko said, shaking his head. "I knew basically what happened, but not the whole plan, so I really did overhear them talking. After the events of this storm, Katara and Sokka got sick from it, and Aang had to go find medicine, except you were near the Pohuai Stronghold, where the Yuyan Archers are. They're an elite Fire Nation fighting force." He explained. "Zhao enlisted them to capture Aang, which they did. I dressed up as the Blue Spirit and freed you, so I could have a chance to capture you myself, but you fled."

Confusion flashed through Aang's eyes. "What's the Blue Spirit?"

"The Blue Spirit is a popular Fire Nation folk figure." Zuko explained, pulling the mask out of his bag. "I would dress up as the Blue Spirit to go on stealth missions, and as such, I'm wanted as the Blue Spirit by the Fire Nation, as well as being wanted for setting foot on Fire Nation territory, after being banished, and being a traitor. So I guess I'm wanted twice. I didn't see you for a couple of weeks after that, but I met a bounty hunter named June. She had a shirshu, who could track someone from a continent away, and had a whip-like tongue that paralyzed you. Using Katara's necklace, she tracked you to the abbey, where you were staying with your father's friend Bato."

Katara gasped. "We found Bato?"

"Yeah," Zuko nodded. "He was fine. He had just gotten injured, so he was staying at the abbey while he recovered, before going to meet the rest of the men from your tribe. You managed to trick her shirshu, by spilling the perfume that the nuns at the abbey made, which confused its nose, and Uncle and I got paralyzed in the process. Zhao was still pursuing you, and he met up with you again at Jeong Jeong's camp. Jeong Jeong was the first person to desert the Fire Nation and survive, and he's an amazing firebending master. He was actually Zhao's firebending master, until he got upset that Jeong Jeong tried to teach him restraint. Aang used that to his advantage, and tricked Zhao into setting his own ships on fire." Zuko chuckled. "Zhao was upset about it for a while after. It was actually really funny."

Sokka grinned. "If we didn't have Zuko to teach Aang firebending, I say we should find this Jeong Jeong guy. He sounds great."

"It might be a good idea to find him anyway." Zuko considered. "He might be able to help me send a message to my uncle. You all then traveled to the Northern Air Temple. There's a man there named the Mechanist, who the Fire Nation forced to make weapons for them. His son Teo was paralyzed, and once he realized what his father was doing, helped you convince him to stop. Sokka and the Mechanist ended up making airships, but sadly, the Fire Nation got one of them, which they would use later in the war."

Sokka thought for a second. "So, as long as we don't go to the Northern Air Temple, then the Fire Nation won't get the airship designs."

"That might not be the best idea." Zuko pointed out. "The Mechanist was a great help later in the war. If it wasn't for him, your submarine design wouldn't be created, and the submarines were a great help on the Day of Black Sun. We just need to figure out a way to convince the Mechanist to stop helping the Fire Nation, without giving the Fire Nation the idea for the war balloons."

Aang sighed. "No one ever said this would be easy, even with future knowledge."

"You continued on to the Northern Water Tribe, and found a master to teach Katara and Aang." Zuko continued. "Zhao figured out I was the Blue Spirit, and blew up my ship with the help of the pirates. He thought I died, but I ended up just stowing away on his ship as a Fire Nation solider. Although, that won't happen this time, since I don't have my ship anymore, and there will be no way he could figure out I'm the Blue Spirit this time, since he figured out it from my swords hanging up. I actually don't even know where the Wani is." He pointed out. "Zhao showed up at the Northern Water Tribe, and I kidnapped Aang while he was in the Spirit World. Then, Zhao killed the Moon Spirit, which was actually a koi fish in the Spirit Oasis, even though my uncle told him not to. The moon went dark, but the Water Tribe princess sacrificed her life to save it. I think she turned into the moon, or that's at least what Sokka told me once. Aang merged with the Ocean Spirit, and managed to destroy all the Fire Nation ships, and Uncle and I were labeled traitors, and became refugees. Oh, and Zhao got killed by the Ocean Spirit."

Sokka looked at him, confusion evident on his face. "How does someone turn into the moon?"

Zuko shrugged. "I don't know. You told me that once, a lot later. I was fighting Zhao at the time, so I wasn't there. Uncle and I ended up floating on a piece of driftwood for a couple of weeks, until we reached the Earth Kingdom. My sister showed up, claiming my father wanted me back, although it was a complete lie, and we ended up fighting her off. You went to some base in the Earth Kingdom, where the general wanted to use the Avatar State as a weapon, but it didn't work. After that, you tried to go to Omashu, to get King Bumi to teach Aang earthbending, but Omashu had been conquered by the Fire Nation. Azula's friend, Mai's father was the governor there, actually." He mentioned, a blush covering his face.

"Who's Mai, Zuko?" Sokka asked cheekily, catching on.

Zuko glared at him. "No one. She's not important."

"Sure, I believe you." Sokka said, still grinning and not buying it at all.

Zuko rolled his eyes and continued. "You continued traveling through the Earth Kingdom to find Aang an earthbending master who knew how to 'listen and wait,' as Bumi said, and Uncle and I continued traveling to Ba Sing Se. I left him for a time, because I was an idiot. You ended up arriving in Gaoling, where Toph lived. She would become Aang's earthbending master, eventually, but she's the daughter of the rich Beifong family, who act like she doesn't exist."

"Why?" Aang asked, confused. "If she's my earthbending master, she must be pretty good. Why would they try to hide their daughter if she's so talented?"

Zuko sighed. "Toph's blind, and her parents treat her like she's some helpless, little girl when she isn't. She uses what she calls seismic sense, where she can see everything going on by feeling the vibrations in the earth. She would fight in underground earthbending tournaments as the Blind Bandit, and win. Aang was actually the first one to defeat her in a year, and that's mainly because he used airbending. Toph ended up coming with you, although her dad sent her old earthbending master, and the man who ran the earthbending tournaments, to get her back, since he thought you kidnapped her. Azula, Mai, and Ty Lee ended up taking over my search for you, and chased you across the Earth Kingdom."

"Mai's the girl you like, right?" Sokka asked, smirking.

Zuko sighed, not even trying to hide it anymore. "Yes. Neither she nor Ty Lee are benders, but they're both dangerous. Mai throws knives and has a killer aim, and Ty Lee is acrobatic and knows how to perform a technique called chi-blocking, where she hits a person's pressure points, temporarily paralyzing them, and blocking their bending. And Azula is a prodigy firebender. She's chased you to an abandoned town, which is when I finally caught up to you. We had her surrounded, when my uncle showed up again, and Azula shot lightning at him. She escaped and I yelled at all of you for trying to help, before taking off with him. You ended up hearing about Wan Shi Tong's library in the Si Wong dessert, and headed there."

"Who's Wan Shi Tong?" Aang asked, confused.

"A giant owl spirit." Zuko commented nonchalantly. "He's apparently not very nice. You learned about a solar eclipse, which you would use to invade Caldera City on the Day of Black Sun, since all firebenders lose their bending during an eclipse. But when Wan Shi Tong learned that you were using the knowledge for war, he decided to drag his library back into the Spirit World. Toph was so preoccupied with making sure the library didn't fall into the Spirit World, while you all were still inside, that she couldn't do anything to stop Appa from being stolen by the sandbenders."

Tears pricked at Aang's eyes. "We lost Appa?"

"Yeah," Zuko said, sighing. "You ended up getting him back later, but he was gone for nearly four weeks. Uncle and I ended up in the dessert at the same time, ironically, where I learned about the Order of the White Lotus."

Sokka tilted his head. "What's that?"

"It's a secret order that Uncle is a Grand Lotus in, which is some important position. I didn't have the chance to ask him much about it, before he was killed trying to retake Ba Sing Se, with the other members. Some of the most important adults we meet are part of it, such as King Bumi, Master Pakku, Master Piandao, and Jeong Jeong. They're basically a secret society that transcends borders, and locates their members through Pai Sho games. We were able to evade Xin Fu and Master Yu, who were the ones chasing Toph, and decided to go after Uncle and I to get the bounty on us, with the help of one of the members. Eventually we made it out, and arrived at Full Moon Bay, at the same time as you actually."

Sokka scratched his head. "What's Full Moon Bay?"

"It's where the ferries take refugees to Ba Sing Se." Zuko explained. "Suki and the Kyoshi Warriors were actually working as guards there. But you all abandoned your tickets to go through the Serpent's Pass, which is a deadly land pass to Ba Sing Se, to help a group of refugees who had their tickets stolen, and Suki came with you."

Aang turned to Katara and Sokka. "That does sound like us."

"On the ferry ride over, is when I met Jet." Zuko continued. "After meeting you, he had disbanded the Freedom Fighters, and was instead journeying to Ba Sing Se, with Smellerbee and Longshot, to start a new life. We ended up stealing food from the captain, to give to the refugees, since he was eating like a king, and eventually all of us ended up in the city at the same time. Except Jet realized Uncle and I were firebenders, when he used firebending to heat up his cold cup of tea."

Sokka, Katara, and Aang all chuckled, from what they heard of Zuko's uncle, it definitely sounded like him.

"Except, Azula, Mai, and Ty Lee arrived at about the same time we all did. They had a large drill, which they were trying to use to drill through Ba Sing Se's walls. You stopped it, though I never actually learned what exactly happened. Uncle and I were hired by a man named Pao to work at his tea shop, and it was nice for a while. Uncle eventually got the opportunity to open his own tea shop in the upper ring of Ba Sing Se, which he called _The Jasmine Dragon_. For a while, life was good, and I actually enjoyed it. In the meantime, you were trying to tell the Earth King about the eclipse, but Joo Dee, who was supposed to show you around the city, and the Dai Li stopped you. It turns out that Long Feng, the leader of the Dai Li and one of the Earth King's advisors, had never told the king about the war, and if you spoke about it, the Dai Li took you to their hideout below Lake Laogai and brainwashed you into thinking that there's no war in Ba Sing Se. It's what happened to Jet, when he accused Uncle and I of being firebenders, and where they kept Appa."

Sokka, Katara, and Aang stared at him in shock at the information, and finally Aang spoke up. "I thought Ba Sing Se was a safe place."

"Oh it is." Zuko assured them. "From the war at least. But Ba Sing Se has its own dangers. I'm not completely sure what all of you did during those four weeks that you were there, but I didn't learn you were in the city, until I found your posters about Appa. You went down below Lake Laogai, after learning Jet had been brainwashed from Longshot and Smellerbee, where he was killed by Long Feng, and I freed Appa. Azula, Mai, and Ty Lee ended up infiltrating the city as the Kyoshi Warriors, and pulled off a coup of the city. I was thrown below the city in the Crystal Catacombs, and Katara was too." He sighed, knowing now he would have to admit to his biggest fault, not sure if they would trust him anymore. "In the Catacombs, I made the biggest mistake of my life. I betrayed all of you and my uncle. Azula shot Aang with lightning, while he was in the Avatar State, and he almost died, if it wasn't for the Spirit Water that Katara got from the Northern Water Tribe. My uncle was captured and thrown in prison, and I finally went back to the Fire Nation as a hero."

When Zuko looked up, he expected to see hatred and disgust on their faces, but he only saw empathy and understanding, even after he had just admitted to almost getting Aang killed.

"I understand why you did it." Aang told him.

Zuko looked at him, shocked. "You did? But I almost caused your death, and betrayed the only person, besides my mother, to care for me, for my father who tried to kill me."

"He's your father." Sokka said, shrugging. "Of course you would want him to love you. The important thing is, you know what you did was wrong, and want to change it now."

Katara smiled sadly. "We didn't act like this last time, did we?"

Zuko shook his head. "No, it took you a long time to trust me, especially you Katara. I returned to the Fire Nation, but it wasn't what I thought it would be. Azula told my father that I had killed Aang, which I knew was wrong. To cover it up, I hurried a combustionbender assassin to kill Aang. A combustionbender is a firebender who can shoot fire from their mind." He explained at their looks of confusion. "Sokka nicknamed him Combustion Man. Mai was the only one truly on my side during this time, and the two of us starting dating."

"Ha!" Sokka cheered. "I knew there was something between the two of you."

Rolling his eyes, Zuko continued. "All of you continued through the Fire Nation, to get to your meeting place for the invasion. I eventually realized what I had done wrong, after I learned Avatar Roku was my great-grandfather. You met a waterbender from the Southern Water Tribe named Hama, who taught Katara bloodbending. It means that you control the water in someone's blood, turning them into your personal puppet." He explained to their horror. "She had been kidnapped years ago, during the raids."

"I can't believe someone would do that. I'll never use it, if I ever learn it this time." Katara insisted.

Zuko shook his head. "I saw you use it once, but I'll get to that. Everything culminated on the day of the invasion. Azula knew about it for weeks, from when she was in Ba Sing Se, posing as a Kyoshi Warrior, so she knew it was happening. The Royal Family was all hidden in the bunkers below the volcano. I faced my father, and told him I was going to join you. He shot lightning at me, but I redirected it, which he was surprised about. The Fire Nation destroyed the submarines, and you had to leave the adults behind to be captured. You all escaped on Appa, along with Teo, Haru, and the Duke, and fled to the Western Air Temple, as I followed using my war balloon. When I arrived, I offered to teach Aang firebending, but the only one who would consider it was Toph. She tried to talk to me that night, but I was startled, not realizing who she was, and firebended at her, resulting in her feet getting burnt." He looked down ashamed, still upset about it. "That only caused all of you to dislike me more."

"What happened to change that?" Katara asked.

Zuko sighed. "Combustion Man showed up, and I tried to stop him. Sokka ended up hitting him with his boomerang, which caused him to blow himself up."

"Aw yeah!" Sokka cheered. "Boomerang for the win!"

Zuko rolled his eyes, but continued. "My firebending became weak, because I wasn't taking it from rage anymore. So Aang and I travelled to the Sun Warrior ruins, since I couldn't learn from the original firebenders, the dragons, since they were all extinct, or so I thought."

"What do you mean the dragons are extinct?" Aang asked, confused. "Roku had a dragon, and there were lots of dragons when I was a kid."

Zuko sighed. "Sozin started the tradition of hunting the dragons. Anyone who killed a dragon was given the title of 'Dragon', and it was supposed to show someone's firebending talent. That's how my uncle got the title 'Dragon of the West', or so I thought. When we arrived at the ruins, we discovered that the Sun Warriors weren't extinct, and learned from the masters, Ran and Shaw, who were actual dragons. It turned out that my uncle was the last outsider to meet them, and lied about killing the last dragon to protect them. Sokka learned that his father was at the Boiling Rock, which is the most secure Fire Nation prison, in the center of a boiling lake, in the middle of a volcano, and the two of us went to break him out. There, we found Suki as well as your dad, and ended up breaking everyone out. Of course, Azula showed up," Zuko said, rolling his eyes. "But Mai decided to help us, and we escaped on Azula's airship."

"Why do I think that came back to bite us?" Katara asked, crossing her arms.

"Because with Azula it always does." Zuko told her. "She tracked us to the Western Air Temple, and Toph made a tunnel through the cliff to get us out, but since Appa hates going underground, he wouldn't go. We made the decision that your father, Chit Sang, who broke out of the Boiling Rock with us, Teo, Haru, and the Duke would go through the tunnel, and the rest of us would escape on Appa. We flew away, and went to Ember Island. My family has a vacation home, but no one has used it for a long time, except for that one time that summer when Azula, Mai, Ty Lee, and I all went there." He explained. "You still hated me, Katara, and I found out from Sokka that it was because you connected me to your mother's death. When Sokka told me about the flags on their ships, I knew they were the Southern Raiders."

Katara stared at him, her eyes icy. "Who are the Southern Raiders?"

"They're a group of elite, Fire Nation soldiers." Zuko told her. "Their leader at the time of your mother's death, Yon Rha, had retired two years prior. We found him, and that was when I saw you use your bloodbending on him. You ultimately couldn't kill him, and we returned. That was when you finally forgave me. After that, we spent our time training to face the Fire Lord, and Sokka decided that we should go see the Ember Island Player's production of our adventures, called the Boy in the Iceberg." He winced. "My mother always insisted we see them, but they butchered Love Amongst the Dragons every year, and it was no different this time. We traveled to Ba Sing Se one final time, where the Order of the White Lotus was meeting, and well," he sighed. "You all know what happened next."

Katara, Sokka, and Aang stared at him for the longest time, when Zuko finally finished the story. Finally, Aang spoke up. "We'll prevent it this time, I won't fail the world again."

As the three of them pulled Zuko into a hug, he sighed, glad his friends finally knew the truth. As they pulled away, Zuko muttered to himself. "I hope so Aang, I hope so."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jeez, I did not expect this chapter to be so long, but it really makes you realize that there are very little filler episodes in the series. So for everyone wondering when Zuko would tell them, there you go. Also, if anyone's wondering how Zuko knows everything, it isn't improbable. He did spend the entirety of Book One chasing them, so I would suspect he would know where they went, and they probably did tell him stories of what happened when they became friends in Book Three.


	8. Old Friends

"So, what's the plan?" Sokka asked the next morning, as they flew away from the cave, the storm long passed. "You know, to make sure we don't die."

Zuko leaned back against the saddle. "Well, I suppose we can go find your father's friend. I'm not going to be there trying to capture you this time, so you would actually be able to talk to him. And, I want to find Jeong Jeong."

"Why?" Aang asked, looking back at them. "We have you, we don't need Jeong Jeong to teach me firebending."

"Well, Jeong Jeong is a member of the White Lotus." Zuko explained. "If anyone knows how to get a message to my uncle, it would be him. I just want to make sure he's okay."

Katara looked up from her sewing, Momo perched on her head. "What happened to your uncle anyway? I haven't seen him since Aang, Sokka, and I escaped from your ship that first day."

"He took the crew of the _Wani_ after they helped me knock out the Fire Sages, so they could disappear into the Earth Kingdom. He was going to use his White Lotus contacts to get them new names." Zuko explained. "After my mind came back in time, we started freeing Earth Kingdom occupied villages, instead of chasing after you. Since they were considered traitors now, they needed new names, at least until it's safe to come back to the Fire Nation. I assume he's somewhere in the Earth Kingdom, but I want to find him."

Sokka flipped onto his back, looking up at the clouds. "When will it be safe for them to go back anyway? I assume the Fire Nation doesn't take very well to traitors, considering what they did to you, and you didn't even betray anyone! You were the exact opposite."

"I suppose it's when we defeat my father and I become Fire Lord." Zuko mused. "After all, I wouldn't punish my crew for treason, no matter what anyone says about it, since after all, I was the one who asked them to commit treason in the first place."

Everyone went silent, as they always did whenever the concept of Zuko becoming Fire Lord was mentioned. It was kinda surreal, Katara thought. After all, for the longest time, the Fire Lord was this big bad who caused all the evil and suffering in the world, but he was her friend's father. And said friend would become the new Fire Lord when he was defeated.

"You know, I often forget you're a prince, Zuko." Sokka commented. "And not just any prince, the Crown Prince. I guess you just don't act like how I imagine royalty would act at all."

Zuko grinned. "You mean I'm not stuck up or spoiled? That sounds more like my sister, actually. I guess it's because I take after my mother, and she wasn't born into royalty. The only reason my father married her, is because her grandfather was Avatar Roku, and the Fire Sages said they would have a powerful child. I suppose they were right, after all, Azula is my sister."

"Hey, you're powerful too, Zuko." Sokka told him, turning around. "I know we've never met your sister, but you redirected lightning at the _Fire Lord_. I don't think he can do that."

Zuko shook his head. "He can't. My uncle invented that technique from watching waterbenders. Previously, the only people who could do it were me, my uncle, and Aang, because I taught him. That reminds me," he said, turning to Aang. "When we start your firebending training, I'll have to teach you that."

"I bet it's pretty cool." Aang said, grinning. "Imagine that, redirecting lightning."

Zuko smiled. "It is. It feels exhilarating, that much power. But you have to be extremely careful with it. One wrong move, and you could die, _literally_."

"I know what you mean." Katara said, looking up. "I died that way last time."

Zuko sighed, nodding. "Yeah. If it comes down to an Agni Kai between Azula and I again, I want you to promise me one thing. Please, do not come into the arena this time. If Azula shoots lightning at you again, which she would, I don't want to be too late, again."

"I promise." She told him, sincerely.

"As much as I love talking about my sister's death," Sokka said, sitting up. "When are we going to get to the abbey? I want to see Bato again."

Zuko leaned over the saddle, grinning when he spotted something below. "There is it." He said, pointing. "Aang, bring us down."

Aang smiled, guiding Appa down into a clearing in the woods. Almost before they landed on the ground, Katara and Sokka hopped out of the saddle, clearly excited to see Bato.

"You stay here, buddy." Aang told Appa, patting the sky bison on his head. "Watch our stuff, alright?"

As the group headed through the woods towards the abbey, both Katara and Sokka bounced on their toes in excitement. "Do you think he'll still be here?" Katara wondered.

"Probably," Zuko said, shrugging. "This is about the same time that I was here last, and he would have no reason to leave yet. He only left last time because you showed up."

Looking up, Sokka spotted the walls of the abbey through the trees. "There it is!" He called, pointing ahead. "We're almost there!"

Breaking into a run, the group raced to the entrance, prompting the nuns in the courtyard, to look up from what they were doing.

"Can I help you children?" The abbess asked, walking foreword.

Katara nodded. "We heard that Bato from the Southern Water Tribe was here. We were hoping to see him. Our father is one of his best friends."

"He's here." The abbess confirmed. "I'll go get him for you."

As she disappeared around the corner, the group huddled together. "Should we tell him about, you know?" Sokka asked. "Zuko being from the future?"

"I don't think we should." Zuko said, shaking his head. "I was nervous about telling all of you. I think we should only tell the people who need to know, like Toph when we meet her, or the members of the White Lotus. I never actually met Bato last time. He had already been captured by the time I joined the group, and then you all know what happened. And I don't think we should tell him who I really am, so for the time being, just call me Lee. That is, unless he recognizes me from my scar."

Katara tilted her head. "How would he recognize you from that?"

"I know you didn't hear much down at the South Pole, but around here, people know what happened to me." Zuko explained. "Your father and the other warriors had already left when this happened, and people talk." He shrugged. "I guarantee he's heard about the banished prince who had his face burned."

The sound of someone clearing their throat came from behind them, and the entire group whipped around to see Bato standing there with the abbess.

"I'm going to leave you to catch up." She told them, before bowing and walking away.

As soon as she was gone, Sokka and Katara's faces split into grins. "It's good to see you Bato." Katara said, hugging the older man, who laughed. "This is Aang and Lee." She indicated to the two of them.

"I know your name isn't Lee." Bato said, causing all of them to freeze. "Would you mind telling me what you're doing traveling with the Prince of the Fire Nation?"

Sokka looked around, making sure none of the nuns were listening, before turning back to Bato. "Can we talk about this somewhere else? We promise we'll explain."

"Fine," Bato relented. "We can go to my room in the abbey. I do want to catch up with the two of you."

As Bato led them through the abbey, Sokka leaned over to Zuko. "I see what you mean about people knowing who you are."

"You get used to it." Zuko said, shrugging. "And if they don't know, they pity me. I'm not completely sure which one is worse."

Bato led them down the hallway of the abbey, and into a room, which was covered in animal pelts, a small fire crackling in the center. "Welcome to my home." Bato told them, sitting down. "I tried to make it as much like home as possible. Now will you explain what you're doing with the Prince of the Fire Nation?"

"Zuko's fine now, Bato." Sokka said grinning, taking a seat on the pelts. "He's with us. Zuko's going to teach Aang firebending."

Bato raised an eyebrow. "Oh? How did that happen?"

"I realized everything I had been taught was wrong." Zuko said, shrugging. "I want to bring down my father and stop this war. I know you won't necessarily believe me, because of everything you've seen, but I promise I'm telling the truth."

Bato sighed. "Normally, I wouldn't believe you. But I trust Sokka and Katara, and if they trust you, then I at least won't stop you."

"Sadly, we'll have to leave in the morning." Sokka told him. "We need to get to the North Pole, so Aang and Katara can learn waterbending."

Bato stared at them, confused. "But I thought you said that Zuko was teaching Aang firebending?"

"Oh, I'm the Avatar." Aang said, chuckling. "I guess I forgot to mention that before."

Bato shook his head. "Sounds like you two have had some pretty interesting experiences since I last saw you." He told Sokka and Katara. "Last time I heard, your father and the other warriors are in the Eastern Earth Kingdom. I'll send word to you two if I hear anything else."

"Thank you, Bato." Katara said, sincerely.

* * *

_The next morning..._

"Goodbye Bato." Katara said, as she and Sokka hugged him goodbye the next morning.

Bato smiled. "Bye you two. Stay safe."

As they flew away on Appa, Aang turned around to face them. "Where are we going next?"

"How about the Northern Air Temple?" Sokka suggested. "We're two weeks ahead of schedule then we were last time, so hopefully we can make it in time to convince the Mechanist not to send plans to the Fire Nation, and stop them from getting the information for the airships. And since we're ahead of time, we can see if we can find Jeong Jeong."

Zuko smiled at them. "Thank you, that means a lot."

"Well, we got to see Bato." Sokka said, shrugging. "It's only fair you can send word to your uncle too."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since I've gotten a lot of reviews asking about this, I'm just going to address it here, instead of answering each one, I'm not sure what ships this story is eventually going to have. My current plan is to keep them as canon as possible, but that may change, depending on where this story goes. The only one I don't think I'm going to do is Maiko, because they really only got together because Zuko went back to the Fire Nation with Azula at the end of Book Two, which is obviously going to change. Sukka probably will still happen, since they really aren't affected by Zuko time-traveling. The only one I'm not completely sure on is whether it will be Kataang or Zutara, but I'm open to either happening. I don't know, maybe I'll do Maiko as a flash foreword at the end, because I do like them.
> 
> But seriously, some of you shippers scare me. With Avatar, since I'm not as set on the ships as I am with other fandoms, if there is one ship that an overwhelmingly amount of people want me to do, I may do that, so tell me what you think.


	9. The Firebending Master

"Where did we find Jeong Jeong before?" Aang asked, as they flew along.

Zuko thought back for a second. "Well, before he was near Wudhi Village. It's a Fire Nation colony in the Earth Kingdom. But we're two weeks ahead of schedule, so he may not be there."

"We can check nearby." Sokka suggested. "Even if he's not right there, he should be close. Why were we even near a Fire Nation village in the first place?"

Zuko chuckled. "Apparently, Aang thought it was a good idea to observe firebending first hand. There was a Fire Days Festival happening. Although, we won't be able to go to it. It's kinda sad, those festivals were one of my favorite things to go to as a kid. They were a representation of the culture of the Fire Nation, one of the few good things."

"We probably shouldn't go into the town anyway." Sokka pointed out. "I don't think it's a good idea for four wanted criminals to just walk into a Fire Nation town. That's just asking for trouble."

Zuko nodded. "During the Fire Days Festival, everyone wears masks, so it wouldn't be a problem then. But if we walked in wearing masks, now, it'll be suspicious. Jeong Jeong was in the forest around the village anyway, so we can check there without even going into the town."

"I think we're nearby, anyway." Aang said, glancing at the map. "We should find somewhere to land."

Katara leaned over the side of the saddle. "How about that clearing?" She suggested, pointing to an opening in the trees.

Nodding, Aang glided Appa down to the clearing that Katara spotted. Hopping off his head, Aang smiled at his sky bison. "We'll see you soon, buddy."

"So, where do you think Jeong Jeong is?" Sokka asked, as they wandered through the forest.

Zuko shrugged. "No idea. From what I was told, you only found him because one of his soldiers saved you, after Aang revealed himself as the Avatar at the Fire Days Festival. I have no idea how to find him now, or how he'll react to having the banished Crown Prince of the Fire Nation in his camp."

"Maybe he's heard about how you've been labeled a traitor." Katara pointed out. "He has been too, so maybe he'll understand. And you did say he's friends with your uncle."

Zuko nodded. "Maybe."

"You know, you probably should be a little quieter if you want to sneak up on someone's camp." A voice commented from behind them, causing all of them to jump, although Zuko would never admit to it. Whipping around, the Gaang was met with the sight of a man with scruffy brown hair and golden eyes, leaning up against a tree.

Katara's eyes widened. "Are you Jeong Jeong?"

"No," he said, pushing himself off of the tree. "But I know where to find him."

Zuko narrowed his eyes. "How long were you standing there?"

"Enough to learn who you kids are, and that you're looking for Jeong Jeong." He said, shrugging. "The name's Chey. I'm the second person to desert from the Fire Nation and survive, although you don't get any recognition for being the second person to do something. What does the banished prince of the Fire Nation want with Jeong Jeong the Deserter?" He asked.

Zuko sighed. "Jeong Jeong knows my uncle. I was hoping that he knew of a way to contact him."

"Follow me," Chey said, shrugging. "I'll take you to Jeong Jeong's camp."

The Gaang trooped through the forest, following Chey until they emerged into another clearing, even deeper in the forest. Metal structures were littered around the clearing, and former Fire Nation soldiers were scattered about. They were dressed in brown clothes, with fur around the edges, and weren't obviously Fire Nation to anyone watching.

"Jeong Jeong is in there." Chey said, pointing to the biggest structure. "I can't promise that he'll talk to you, but you can try."

As Chey wandered away, Zuko turned to the rest of the Gaang. "I'll go talk to Jeong Jeong. I'm the one who wants to see him anyway. The rest of you can stay out here."

Zuko hurried down the hill, leaving the rest of the Gaang at the campfire. Stopping outside of the tent, he took a deep breath, stealing himself for the possibility of Jeong Jeong refusing. Pushing open the flap, he stepped inside.

"I thought I made it clear that I didn't want to be disturbed." Jeong Jeong commented, not looking up.

Zuko sighed. "I'm actually not one of your men."

"Who are you?" Jeong Jeong demanded. "And what are you doing in my tent?"

Zuko looked up at him. "My name is Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation. I know you're a part of the White Lotus, and know my uncle, General Iroh."

"I knew that." Jeong Jeong commented irritably.

Zuko blinked at him. "Then why did you ask who I am?"

"I wanted to see if you were going to tell the truth." Jeong Jeong replied simply. "Or if you were going by a fake name. I assume the reason why you're here has something to do with the White Lotus."

Zuko nodded. "I was hoping, since you know him, if you had a way of contacting him. I haven't talked to him since I sent him away with the crew of the Wani at the Fire Temple, and was hoping I could get a message to him."

"The Grand Lotus has his own ways of contacting us if he needs too, but I suppose I could send a messenger hawk." Jeong Jeong told him.

Zuko grinned. "Thank you."

"But you have to be careful." Jeong Jeong reminded him. "Don't put anything in the message that could be dangerous if intercepted, or if you have to, write it in code. I'll get a hawk ready in the morning, I assume you will have the message ready by then."

Zuko nodded. "I'm aware. I'll get the message to you by then."

"Now I'm assuming that since you know about the White Lotus, you also know about Pai Sho and how to play." Jeong Jeong said, gesturing to the table in front of him. "Will you play a game with me?"

Zuko smiled. "I would be honored."

* * *

An hour later, after several riveting games of Pai Sho, Zuko headed back to the campfire, forever grateful he had finally listened to his uncle, and learned how to play in Ba Sing Se. When he got back, the only one still awake was Katara, who had taken to mending their various ripped clothes, after one fight or another, or just Sokka being an idiot and ripping his clothes.

"You were gone for a while." She commented. "Is everything okay?"

Zuko nodded. "Everything is fine. He's going to send a messenger hawk in the morning to Uncle. The two of us just got to playing Pai Sho."

"You know, I would never have taken you as a Pai Sho player, Prince Zuko." She teased.

Zuko laughed. "I didn't used to be. But Uncle and I had a lot of spare time in Ba Sing Se, when we weren't working, and I finally relented and learned how to play, just to get him off my back. Surprisingly, I liked it. And, it's useful when I need to talk to White Lotus members."

"I think I'm going to go to sleep." She told him, setting the pants aside for the time being. "You should sleep."

Zuko nodded. "I'm just going to write this note, and then I'll go to bed."

Reaching into his bag, Zuko pulled out a scroll and his ink, balancing it on his knee, and hoping it wouldn't be hard to read.

_Hello Uncle,_   
_I'm sorry for taking so long to write to you, but everything is crazy. I thought you would like to know that I found my friends, and we worked everything out. I told them about everything I've done in the past year, and it was really nice to tell someone other than you. Thank you for the Pai Sho tile you gave me before I left, it was helpful. You were right, you can always find a friend with the White Lotus tile. I hope to see you soon, before the moon changes._   
_Your loving nephew,_   
_Lee_

Deciding that it was obscure enough, that if someone intercepted it, they would just think it was a nephew writing to his uncle, but not obscure enough that Uncle knew what he was talking about, Zuko rolled up the note and placed in his bag, determined to give it to Jeong Jeong tomorrow. Climbing into his bedroll, Zuko promptly fell asleep.

* * *

_The next morning..._

Zuko woke up bright and early, just as usual, as the dawn rose, pleased to see that he wasn't the only one. It was something he missed about traveling with other firebenders, although the Gaang was great.

Climbing out of his bedroll quietly, so as not to wake the others, Zuko hurried down the hill, spotting Jeong Jeong already outside his tent, meditating.

"I know you're there." Jeong Jeong replied, as Zuko approached him. "You can place the note next to me."

Sitting it down next to the older firebending master, Zuko hesitantly spoke up. "Can I join you?"

"Be my guest." Jeong Jeong told him, cracking open an eye. "I'm guessing it's been a while since you meditated with another firebender."

Zuko nodded. "Not since I left my uncle at the Fire Temple. The others are great, but I do miss traveling with other firebenders."

"I'd imagine." Jeong Jeong agreed. "I hope we'll see each other again sometime Prince Zuko, although something tells me we will. And, it seems your friends are awake now." He said, gesturing up the hill, which Aang, Sokka, and Katara were running down.

Aang reached the bottom of the hill, barely breaking a sweat, while Sokka panted behind him, causing Katara to roll her eyes. "Hey Zuko. Are you ready to go?" He asked, chipper as ever, even for it being early.

"Yeah." Zuko said, standing up and envying the other boy's ability to always be so cheerful. "I suppose we better get going if we want to make it to the Northern Air Temple."

As they walked back up the hill, Sokka complaining about having just come down it, Aang turned around, waving to Jeong Jeong. "Goodbye! Thanks for your help!"

Jeong Jeong simply nodded, returning to his meditation as if nothing had happened.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So after reading all your responses and reviews on the last chapter, I decided that I'm mainly going to focus on the friendships between the Gaang, instead of any romance. Anything that does come in the story will mainly be in the background, or mentioned in passing, such as the references to Maiko. And as I was thinking about it, it does make more sense. Zuko's the oldest and he's only sixteen, and both Aang and Toph are twelve, so they are kinda young for romance, if you know what I mean.
> 
> Also, for clarification, Zhao is still chasing them, he's just farther behind and the Gaang knows how to avoid him. He will make a reappearance though, I haven't forgotten about him.
> 
> Three chapters in a day? Wow I'm on a roll. I don't think this has ever happened, and I've been writing Fanfiction for over a year.


	10. Plans Fall into Place

"We need a plan." Sokka said, as they flew towards the Northern Air Temple.

Zuko nodded. "Last time, you managed to convince the Mechanist to stop making weapons for the Fire Nation with the help of his son Teo, but it was right before the Fire Nation showed up to get new plans from him, and they attacked when he refused. You were able to fight them off, but that's when they got one of the airships."

"Well, we're going to be there a whole two weeks early." Aang pointed out. "Do you know how often the Fire Nation came to get plans from him?"

Zuko shook his head. "No, unfortunately I don't know everything. But I can't imagine they would come all the time, after all, he needs time to come up with new ideas."

"So all we need to do, is convince him not to work for the Fire Nation again." Sokka deduced. "Do you know how we convinced him last time?"

Zuko sighed. "No. When you told me these stories, you didn't go into extreme detail. It wasn't like we had a whole ton of time to sit around and tell stories. I mainly heard this story from Teo anyway."

"Well, we'll improvise." Aang told them. "It's always worked before."

Katara looked up. "Hopefully this will work. We can't let the Fire Nation get the plans for the airships again."

"It will work." Aang insisted. "It has to."

* * *

As they crested over the top of the mountains, Aang's eyes lit up in excitement. "There it is!" He cried. "The Northern Air Temple!"

Katara, Sokka, and Zuko leaned over the saddle, spotting the Air Temple at the top of the mountains. People on gliders swooped around in the air, and the entire temple gave the appearance of being lived in, unlike the Southern Air Temple.

"Aang, are those Air Nomads?" Katara asked, surprised.

Zuko shook his head. "They aren't. They're a group of Earth Kingdom refugees, who moved up here when their town was destroyed by a flood."

"At least they're not casualties of the war." Sokka muttered quietly.

As Aang guided them towards the old sky bison landing strip, Zuko turned to the rest of them. "For the rest of our trip, unless I say otherwise, just call me Lee. I don't want to draw any unwanted attention to us."

"It feels just like home, buddy." Aang commented softly to Appa, landing him gently on the landing strip.

Hopping out of the saddle, Zuko noticed the inhabitants of the temple coming outside and staring at them oddly. A young boy, with shaggy, brown hair, and his legs strapped into a wheeled contraption, rolled up to them.

"Can I help you?" He asked, curious.

Zuko nodded. "We're looking for the Mechanist. Is he around?"

"That's my dad." Teo said, grinning. "I can take you to him."

The Gaang nodded excitedly, following Teo through the Air Temple.

"Is that a real sky bison?" Teo asked as they walked. "I thought they were all extinct."

Aang nodded. "Appa's real all right. He is the last sky bison, though."

"Wait, you're the Avatar." Teo said in realization.

Aang grinned. "Sure am. I'm Aang, and this is Katara, Sokka, and Lee." He said, introducing them.

"Pleased to meet you." Katara said, politely. "So, do you all live here?"

Teo nodded. "A flood destroyed our town when I was a baby. My dad found this place, and since no one had lived here in decades, we stayed."

"It's surreal to see people living here again." Aang told him. "I used to come here as a kid, and I'm glad someone has made it their home, even if it's not my people."

Teo led them into a room off of the hallway, and when he pushed open the door, the sight made Sokka's eyes fall out of their sockets. It was a fairly large room, but it was covered with different plans for inventions, that littered every surface. Half built inventions and tools were spread out on the table, and it gave the room the illusion of being smaller than it actually was. Sitting at one of the tables, fiddling with an invention, was an older man with graying hair, a bald spot on the top of his head, and dressed in overalls.

"Dad," Teo said, causing him to look up. "This is the Avatar and his friends. They want to talk to you."

The Mechanist stood up, regarding them with surprise. "The Avatar? What a surprise. What can I do for you?"

"Is it possible if we could talk to your dad, alone?" Aang asked Teo hesitantly, turning to the other boy.

He nodded. "Of course. I'll be out in the courtyard." He told his dad, before wheeling away.

"What's so important that you had to send my son away?" The Mechanist asked.

Zuko stepped foreword. "We know you've been sending plans to the Fire Nation."

"How did you find that out?" The Mechanist asked, narrowing his eyes. "And besides, it's not like I have a choice. If the Fire Nation finds out I've stopped sending them designs, they'll kill everyone."

Aang turned to him. "Then we'll find out a way to stop them. The Fire Nation are coming in two weeks, right?"

"How did you learn that?" The Mechanist asked, confused.

Aang waved it off. "That's not important. What's important is that we have two weeks to figure out a way to stop the Fire Nation. That's more then enough time to come up with a decent plan."

"We've come up with decent plans in two seconds." Sokka boasted.

The Mechanist sighed. "I suppose. I do have a plan for an airship, but I can't figure out how to get it off the ground."

"I could help." Sokka suggested. "I'm great at this kind of stuff. But, we need to make sure that the Fire Nation can't get these designs at any cost."

Zuko nodded. "If they did, it would be a disaster. Having the power to control the skies would turn the tide of the entire war."

"But how do we tell everyone the truth?" The Mechanist asked, sitting down. "How do I look my son in the eye, and tell him I've been giving plans to the Fire Nation the entire time?"

"You don't have to." A voice sounded from the door.

Everyone turned around in surprise, to see Teo sitting in the doorway, looking at them with an unreadable expression. "Teo?" The Mechanist said in surprise. "I thought you were going back to the courtyard. How long have you been sitting there?"

"Long enough to hear about your plan, and why you did it." Teo said, wheeling in. "I want to help. You did this dad, to make sure I would have a place to live. While I'm not at all happy that you've been helping the Fire Nation, I understand why you did it."

Sokka grinned. "Then let's get started. Can I see your plans for the airships? Maybe I'll be able to figure out how to fix it."

"Teo, Katara, Aang, and I will talk to everyone." Zuko told the Mechanist. "We'll break the news, and come up with a way for these people to defend their homes."

Aang looked around the room, his eyes alighting to the glider attached to Teo's chair. "I think I have an idea."

* * *

_Two weeks later..._

"It's starting." The Mechanist called, running into the courtyard. "The Fire Nation officer just left. They'll be starting the attack soon."

Aang looked around, grinning at the sight of all the villagers who had decided to defend the temple, their gliders in hand.

"I see the Fire Nation troops." Katara called, from her spot atop Appa. "They're coming up the hill."

Zuko grinned. "Let's do this."

In pairs of two, each of the flyers hurtled down the launch way, soaring into the sky. Pulling one of the bombs from his pocket, Aang launched it at the rocky cliff side above the Fire Nation troops, exploding the rocks, which sent the soldiers falling down the cliff, taking others out along the way.

Grinning, Teo followed suit, and soon all of the flyers were launching bombs at the cliff side, taking out more and more troops. Swooping back to the temple, Aang collected more bombs from Zuko, before taking off into the skies once more. Katara swooped around on Appa, using her water-whip to take out the soldiers that had been missed by the bombs, knocking them off the cliff.

"I think it's working!" Teo called, swooping around on his glider.

Katara peered over Appa's saddle. "There are machines coming!" She called, pointing down the hill, where large, Fire Nation machines began to hook onto the cliff and climb up.

"Ready the airships!" Zuko called, grabbing the rest of the larger bombs, and hopping onto Sokka and the Mechanist's ship.

Sokka grabbed some of the bombs from Zuko's arms, and launched it at one of the machines, the rest of the airships following suit. The bombs dropped, hitting the metal machines and exploding on impact. Zuko turned his head away, not wanting to listen to the screams of his countrymen as they were blown off the mountain side.

"Yeah!" Sokka cheered. "We got this."

The Mechanist peered over the side of the airship. "I would wait to celebrate just yet." He said, pointing down the mountain.

Lining up on the side of the cliff, were catapults, and Zuko watched with dread as the Fire Nation soldiers lit the bombs on fire, launching them up the mountain, and getting too dangerously close to the temple.

"That's not good." Sokka commented, paling.

Sighing, Zuko grabbed one of the gliders from the airship, knowing what he had to do. "I'm going to take them out. They're flammable. If I get close enough, I should be able to cause them to blow up in their faces."

"Please, don't tell me you're going to do what I think you're going to do." Sokka begged.

Zuko shrugged. "Sorry Sokka."

Jumping off of the airship, the wings of the glider snapping out, Zuko guided closer to the catapults, smirking at the surprised look on the faces of the Fire Nation soldiers.

"Please tell me he's not going to do what I think he's going to do." Katara said, shaking her head from her and Aang's spot on Appa's saddle.

Aang stared down the mountain. "I think he is."

Taking a deep breath, Zuko shot fire at the catapults, gliding higher up as it hit the ammunition and blowing them up. Before any of the soldiers could fire back at him, Zuko shot a long line of flames, catching all of the catapults on fire. Soaring back towards the airships, Zuko smirked at the sound of all of them being blown off the cliff, and trying not to laugh at the look of utter shock and disbelief on everyone in the airships.

"That was awesome!" Sokka cheered, as Zuko landed back in the airship. "I didn't think you had it in you."

Zuko smiled at his antics, snapping the glider shut. "You know, I think I know why Aang likes this so much. It really is a lot of fun."

"You're a firebender." The Machinist gasped.

Zuko winced. "Yeah I am. Sorry I didn't say anything before, but I didn't want any unnecessary attention."

"So I'm guessing your name isn't Lee." The Mechanist deduced.

Zuko shook his head. "No, it's Zuko. Do you think the villagers will be upset that I'm a firebender?" He asked, nervous, as they approached the temple.

"You just blew up an entire battalion of Fire Nation soldiers." Sokka said, laughing. "I highly doubt they'll be mad."

As they landed the airships back at the temple, Katara and Aang jumped off Appa, running towards Sokka and Zuko. "That was awesome!" Aang cheered. "I can't believe you did that."

"I can't believe I did that." Zuko admitted. "I highly doubt they'll be back."

Teo rolled towards them, shaking his head. "I normally don't like anyone from the Fire Nation, but you're the exception Lee."

"Call me Zuko." He told him.

* * *

A couple hours later, they finally left, after an impromptu celebration in their honor, that the villagers insisted on. As they flew away from the Northern Air Temple, Sokka studied the map in his hand.

"Well, we should be at the North Pole by tomorrow." He told them.

Katara looked out over the ocean, smiling. "I can't believe it. We're finally almost there."

"And, we struck a major blow to the Fire Nation today." Aang told them. "Without the plans for the airships, the Fire Nation will be at a severe disadvantage."

Zuko smiled at his friends. "Things really are looking up for us."


	11. The Northern Water Tribe

Iroh looked up as a messenger hawk swooped towards him, gently landing on his shoulder. Taking the message out of the hawk's pouch, he gave the bird a piece of meat, smiling as it swooped away. Unrolling the scroll, he read it.

"Well, it seems like I'm heading to the North Pole after all." Iroh commented to no one in particular, before burning the scroll and turning north, hoping he would get there, before the Fire Nation did.

* * *

"What does the Northern Water Tribe look like?" Katara wondered, as they flew along.

Zuko turned to her. "It's really amazing. They've created an entire city built completely out of ice, and run by waterbenders. It's an impressive feat of bending, and I really wish I had spent time to appreciate it when I was there."

"Wow, a whole city run by waterbenders." Katara gasped. "I should have no problem finding a master there."

Aang grinned. "We'll be able to find one. And then the two of us can become closer to becoming masters."

"Great, what am I going to do while the two of you go off and play with magic water?" Sokka groaned.

Zuko turned to him. "Don't worry Sokka, I'm sure there's plenty of things for you to do there." He told him, his mind immediately turning to a specific princess, praying he would be able to stop Zhao, before she became the moon again.

* * *

"How will we know when we're close?" Sokka asked, as they floated through the frigid water on the back of Appa, who was exhausted from flying. "It's all ice. How did you find it?"

Zuko shrugged. "I just stowed away on Zhao's ship last time, and snuck into the city through the sewers. I have no clue how to find it."

"Um guys," Aang said, sounding concerned. "Is that giant wall of ice normal?"

Katara, Sokka, and Zuko all turned around, eyes widening at the giant sheet of ice coming straight towards them, and not looking like it was stopping.

"No, it's not." Sokka said, eyes widening.

Katara looked up, gasping in shock. "I think it's caused by waterbenders."

Sure enough, the ice sheets fell foreword, surrounding the Gaang in a barrier of ice, waterbenders perched on top of them.

"Who are you?" One of the waterbenders thundered. "And what do you want?"

Aang stood up on top of Appa's head. "I'm the Avatar. And these are my friends, Katara, Sokka, and Lee. We've come to learn waterbending."

"Very well." The waterbender said, sighing. "We'll lead you to the city. I'm sure our chief will want to welcome you."

The waterbenders on the ice sheets backed up farther from Appa, allowing the sky bison to move in the water. Using their bending, they moved Appa through the water, allowing them to move faster then they could if Appa was just swimming. As they came around the corner, Aang, Sokka, and Katara's jaws all dropped at the sheer sight of the city. Zuko, who had already seen it before, simply smiled at his friends.

"Welcome to Agna Quel'a." The lead waterbender said, as Appa was led into the city through the system of dams controlled by a line of waterbenders. "It's a honor to host the Avatar."

Sokka looked around in shock, as the waterbenders led them through the city. "I'm not usually one for your magic water, but this is impressive."

"I've never seen so many waterbenders in my life." Katara said, shocked.

Sokka rolled his eyes. "Katara, you've only seen one waterbender, yourself. Two if we count Aang."

"Let her enjoy this." Zuko whispered, leaning over to Sokka. "It is pretty impressive."

They stopped outside one of the largest buildings in the whole city. While made completely of ice, like everything else, the palace was much larger than the other buildings, and contained arches and columns made of ice. It was a tiered pyramid, with a large staircase leading up to the entrance, with ice pillars on either side. Pools of water and waterfalls surrounded it.

As they entered the palace, the entire Gaang looked around in wonder. The interior was intricately designed, containing a decorative arch with four pillars, in front of the three carved thrones made entirely of ice. Two cauldron-shaped ice sculptures surrounded the thrones, and carvings of Water Tribe symbols, along with a rug adorned with the insignia of the nation hung on the wall behind them.

Sitting on the thrones were a man and woman, along with a girl about their age. The girl had long, white hair that was braided, with the top part coming up to meet at the middle of her head, in a type of top knot, along with bright blue eyes. She wore a long, purple coat with fur at the top and wrists. The woman had blue eyes and long, black hair, with a blue headpiece in the center, and wore a long, blue coat with fur at the top. The man had black hair and blue eyes, and wore a long, blue coat with fur at the top, along with a necklace of teeth and beads.

"Your Highnesses, I present Avatar Aang and his companions." The lead waterbender said, bowing.

The chief stood up, bowing to Aang and dismissing the waterbender. "Welcome to Agna Quel'a, Avatar. I am Chief Arnook, and this is my wife, Chieftess Kyoh, and my daughter, Princess Yue. It is a honor to welcome you to our city. Am I correct in assuming that you have come to learn waterbending?"

"You are." Aang said, nodding. "I was hoping to find a master, and not just for me, but Katara as well." He said, gesturing to her. "She's the last waterbender of the Southern Water Tribe."

Chief Arnook nodded. "We'll be able to find both of you a master. Tonight, we're having a feast to celebrate my daughter's sixteenth birthday, and I would like all of you to attend, to celebrate your arrival in our city as well. Master Pakku and his students will be performing at the celebration. I believe there is no better master in the city to teach the Avatar and his companions. We can talk to him after the celebration. My guards will escort you to where you'll be staying." Chief Arnook said, gesturing to several of the guards, who were standing stationed around the room. "I'm sorry we couldn't get something better for you, but we didn't know you were coming."

Aang smiled at him. "It's completely fine, you've been more than kind to us."

The guards led them out of the palace, and down one of the streets, the civilians stopping to look as they walked by, whispering to each other. Stopping outside one of the larger houses near the palace, the guard led them inside.

"This is where you'll be staying." He told them. "Someone will be by to escort you to the celebration tonight. Until then, you're allowed to do what you would like."

He left the house, leaving the Gaang alone.

"So what's our plan?" Sokka asked, sitting down on one of the rugs in the center of the room. "We know the Fire Nation is going to invade in a couple of days."

Katara sat down next to her brother. "Well, we need to warn the chief somehow."

"But how do we explain how we know?" Zuko pointed out. "We can't really tell him that we've been traveling with the banished prince of the Fire Nation, who just happened to travel back in time, and knows exactly what happened because he attacked the city before."

Sokka chuckled. "Though that would be funny, he wouldn't believe us. I wouldn't believe us, but this is my life."

"What if we explain that we overheard Zhao talking about it?" Aang suggested. "I can explain that I was captured on his ship briefly, and heard his plan."

Katara nodded. "It would make sense. Everyone knows that the Fire Nation wants to capture you."

"I guess we have our plan." Zuko said. "Now, we just have to wait."

* * *

Later that night, as the celebration was winding down, Aang and Katara approached Chief Arnook, who was talking with Master Pakku, Sokka and Zuko trailing behind them.

"Master Pakku," Chief Arnook said, watching them approach. "This is the Avatar. He was hoping you could teach him and his friend waterbending."

Master Pakku nodded to them. "It's lovely to meet you, Avatar. Which of you is the other waterbender?" He asked, looking at Sokka and Zuko.

"Oh, Lee and I aren't benders." Sokka said, shaking his head. "My sister Katara is the waterbender."

Pakku's face became stony. "I'm sorry, but Chief Arnook didn't tell me that your friend was a girl. In the Northern Water Tribe, women don't learn how to fight. I assumed it was like that in the Southern Water Tribe as well, but it seems I was wrong. If you want to learn to heal, I'm sure you can get a lesson in the healing hut. I will train the Avatar, but not the girl."

"I'm sorry," Katara said, stepping foreword. "I did not cross the entire world, risk my life, and nearly die, just for you to tell me you will not train me."

Pakku simply stared back at her. "This is not how we do things here. We have traditions to uphold."

"This is not going to go well at all, is it?" Sokka whispered to Zuko.

Zuko shook his head. "No it's not. And for the record, I had no idea this happened. When I met Pakku, you all seemed really happy with him." He whispered back.

"I challenge you to a duel." Katara fired back. "Just you and me, tomorrow. If I win, you'll teach me. Do we have a deal?"

Pakku smirked. "Okay, but I doubt you can beat me."

"Just watch me." Katara told him, before turning around and storming out of the palace.

Aang watched her leave, before turning and quickly bowing to Chief Arnook and Master Pakku. "I'll see you tomorrow." He told Pakku, before running after Katara, Sokka and Zuko following suit.

"How dare he refuse to teach me." Katara fumed, marching back to their house. "What a sexist jerk. Just because I'm a girl, does not mean I can't fight. I'll show him a piece of my mind." She whirled on Zuko. "Why didn't you say this was going to happen?"

Zuko put his hands up in surrender. "Hey, don't look at me. I had no idea this happened. I knew Pakku trained you and Aang, but I didn't know he refused at first because you're a girl, or about the Northern Tribe's customs. When I met him at Ba Sing Se, all of you seemed happy to see him. He's part of the Order of the White Lotus." Zuko explained.

"Hey, maybe that means you win this fight." Aang pointed out. "Zuko did say that he taught the two of us, and I don't know why that would change."

Sokka nodded. "And besides, even if you loose this fight and Pakku refuses to teach you, Aang can always just teach you what he learned after we leave. We did not travel all this way, just for you to be unable to find a master."

"When I fought you in the Spirit Oasis the first time, you had definitely found a master." Zuko told her. "You were a way better waterbender then the last time I had faced you. Although, it was under a nearly full moon too, so that helped."

Katara sighed, sitting down on one of the rugs. "I guess I forget how sexist some of the world can be. Growing up at the South Pole, it was never like this. There were so little hands to help anyway, that it didn't matter what your gender was. And after mom died and dad left, Sokka and I were practically raised by Gran-Gran."

"We'll figure this out, Katara." Aang told her. "When I met you, I promised I would find you a master, and I'm not breaking that promise."

* * *

_The next morning..._

"I know Katara can hold her own." Sokka said to Zuko, as the two stood outside the palace the next morning, watching Katara and Pakku get ready for their duel. "But Pakku's a master. I'm worried."

Aang slid up to the two of them. "Don't worry Sokka. Katara will be fine. And besides, this isn't a life and death situation. Even if Katara loses, Pakku isn't going to kill her, or even injure her badly."

Pakku turned around to face Katara, bending the water out of the two fountains into two large whips, and slapping her in the face with them. Grunting, Katara leaped back. Grabbing the water from the ice, Pakku bent it around the two of them, until a circle of water was surrounding them.

"Don't worry I'm not going to hurt you." He said, condescendingly.

Katara bent the water out of his grasp, slapping it away and towards the crowd that had assembled. Zuko and Aang both saw it coming, but Sokka wasn't so lucky.

"Ow!" Sokka gasped, as the water knocked him over.

Katara came running towards Pakku, who bent a wall of ice up. Running up the wall, she leaped over Pakku, landing nimbly on top of one of the ice banisters. He bend the water from the ice wall, sending it flying towards Katara, who planted her feet with ice, and bended the incoming wave away.

"You can't knock me down!" She yelled at him, jumping off the banisters.

Behind her, the crowd cheered, as a large crowd of women had joined Zuko, Aang, and Sokka.

Katara ran straight towards Pakku, who bent a barrier of ice in front of him, which she quickly dissolved. Grunting, she struck out several punches, which he managed to avoid, before bending a wave of water towards Katara, knocking her into one of the fountains.

Shaking the water out of her hair, Katara bent a large block of ice from the water in the fountain, using it to send disks of ice towards Pakku, who barely knocked them out of the way in time. Katara bent a large wave of water towards him, who bent it around himself. As Katara ran towards him, a determined look on her face, Pakku sent the water flying back at her, and knocking her over.

Panting, she jumped up, bending the statues of snow over, and knocking them onto Pakku, who wasn't able to avoid them.

"Well, I'm impressed. You are an excellent waterbender." He told her, once the snow had cleared.

Katara stared definitely back. "But you still won't teach me, will you?"

"No." He responded.

Katara bent a circle of ice towards Pakku, who barely dodged by erecting an ice pillar below himself. Melting it into a wave, he rode towards Katara, who sent a large wave towards him. Freezing the incoming water, Pakku slid along it, sending a shot of water towards Katara and knocking her over, her necklace coming off when she fell.

Sokka gasped. "Oh no."

Pakku jumped off of his ice, landing a few feet away, as Katara gasped, her hair coming undone. He bent water from the nearby fountain, turning into ice spikes, which he sent hurtling towards her, encasing Katara in a prison of ice.

Zuko, Aang, and Sokka stared on in shock, their faces falling, as the women around them gasped, the children hiding in their mother's skirts. Staring up at him, Katara struggled to get out, but to no avail.

"This fight is over." Pakku announced, walking towards her.

"Come back here, I'm not finished yet!" Katara yelled.

Pakku barely glanced back at her. "Yes, you are." Walking over to where Katara's necklace was laying, he gasped, picking it up. "This is my necklace." He said in wonder.

"No it's not, it's mine. Give it back!" Katara yelled back at him.

Pakku still stared down at the necklace in shock. "I made this sixty years ago. For the love of my life. For Kanna."

"My Gran-Gran was supposed to marry you?" Katara asked, surprised, bending the ice away and freeing herself.

Pakku turned away from them. "I carved this necklace for your grandmother when we got engaged. I thought we would have a long, happy life together. I loved her."

By now, the rest of the women and children had left, deciding this was not something they were supposed to hear, leaving just Zuko, Sokka, and Aang watching the exchange.

"But she didn't love you, did she?" Katara asked, stepping closer to the older waterbender. "It was an arranged marriage. Gran-Gran wouldn't let your tribe's stupid customs run her life. That's why she left. It must have taken a lot of courage."

Pakku turned to Katara. "You remind me a lot of your grandmother. I will train you, as well as the Avatar." He told her, before walking away.

"Did you know your grandma was from the Northern Water Tribe?" Zuko asked Sokka, as Katara walked back towards them.

Sokka shook his head. "She never mentioned it. I didn't even know she had been in love with someone before grandpa."

"So, does this mean he's going to train you?" Aang asked, as Katara came up to the three of them.

Katara smiled. "Yep. I guess who both found ourselves a master, Aang."

"We should probably warn the chief about the attack." Zuko commented, as the four of them walked back towards their house.

Sokka nodded. "Let's head towards the palace. Now that we found Katara and Aang a master, we can focus on the other reason we came here in the first place."

"You two should go." Aang told Sokka and Zuko. "Master Pakku wants us to start training right away."

Zuko turned to the other three. "So Sokka and I will go talk to the chief, and you two will go learn waterbending. We can talk about everything we learned tonight."

Nodding, the four of them separated, Sokka and Zuko turning around and heading back the way they came, and Katara and Aang continuing heading the same way. The two boys walked up the staircase to the palace entrance, the guards stepping aside to let them in.

"Lee, Sokka, right?" Chief Arnook asked, as they stepped into the throne room, the two boys nodding. "What can I help you with?"

Zuko stepped foreword. "We're sorry we didn't tell you earlier, but there wasn't time. A couple weeks ago, Aang had been captured by the Fire Nation. We were able to free him, but before we did, he overheard a conversation between two of the Fire Nation generals. They're planning on attacking the Northern Water Tribe in three days. One of their admirals, his name is Zhao, learned about Tui and La's mortal forms. He means to kill Tui and destroy the moon."

"This is extremely serious." Chief Arnook told them. "I'm glad you told me about this. If you hadn't, we could have been overwhelmed. I'll station extra guards near the Spirit Oasis.

Zuko nodded. "Aang wanted to tell you himself, but he and Katara are training with Master Pakku. And if it is possible, would we be able to help guard the Spirit Oasis? We have a personal score to settle with Zhao."

"He's kinda chased us across the world." Sokka explained.

Chief Arnook smiled. "That can be arranged. I was also hoping you could help advise our troops. After all, it's been eighty-five years since we've fought the Fire Nation, and you seem to be very knowledgeable about them currently."

Sokka and Zuko grinned at each other. "You could say that." Zuko told the chief.

* * *

"How did your training go?" Sokka asked, a couple hours later, as Katara and Aang reentered the house.

Aang grinned, flopping down on the floor. "It was great! Katara was amazing, and I learned a lot from Master Pakku. How did your talk with the chief go?"

"He agreed that it's an issue." Zuko told them, sitting up. "He's going to add more guards to the Spirit Oasis, and asked us to advise the troops on how to fight the Fire Nation. I also asked if I could be at the Spirit Oasis, and he agreed."

Katara turned to the three of them. "I think I'm going to ask for a lesson on healing."

"Why?" Sokka asked, confused. "I thought you wanted to learn how to fight. Fighting Master Pakku was so you could learn, not learn healing like he wanted you to do."

"Oh, I still want to learn how to fight." She corrected him. "But, do you know how useful having a healer will be for us? We're fighting the Fire Nation, it would be naive to think that we won't get hurt. And if I can learn how to heal, we won't need to find medicine, or look for a healer."

Zuko nodded. "Katara's right. In my time, you became a really accomplished healer. You were even able to bring Aang back from the dead, when my sister shot him with lightning. Granted, that was due to the Spirit Water from the Oasis, but still."

"You know, when you two put it like that, it makes a lot of sense." Sokka pointed out.

* * *

Stowing his boat around the side of the icy cliff, Iroh stared up at the formidable wall in front of the Northern Water Tribe. Walking along the path in front of it, he came to a stop below where one of the waterbender sentries was standing, having not noticed him yet.

"Hello!" He called. "Care to help an old man out?"

The waterbender stared down at him in shock. "What is your name and why are you here?"

"My name is Mushi." Iroh called up. "My nephew Lee is traveling with the Avatar, and should be here by now. I've arrived to meet him."

The waterbender sighed. "I'll take you to the chief. We'll have your nephew confirm himself, that that's who you really are."

"Why thank you very much." Iroh told him.

The waterbender created an ice path down to where Iroh was standing. Grabbing Iroh by the arm, the waterbender walked back up the path, bringing Iroh with him. The waterbender led Iroh through Agna Quel'a, approaching the palace.

Chief Arnook looked up as the waterbender entered the throne room with Iroh. "Who is this?" He questioned.

"He says his name is Mushi." The waterbender told the chief. "Apparently, he's Lee's uncle."

The chief nodded. "They do look alike. Please go retrieve the Avatar and his friends. Lee can tell us for certain if this is really his uncle. I apologize for the scrutiny." The chief told Iroh, as the waterbender left the room. "But, we're expecting a Fire Nation attack any day now. You can never be too certain."

"I understand." Iroh said, smiling. "My nephew sent a messenger hawk to me, and informed me about what he had heard. That's why I came here."

Chief Arnook looked at him quizzically. "Isn't a messenger hawk normally a Fire Nation way of sending messages."

"It is." Iroh confirmed. "But unfortunately, the two of us got separated when my nephew joined the Avatar. It was the only way we could get a message to each other. And besides, the Fire Nation wouldn't dare intercept one of their own hawks."

Chief Arnook nodded. "That makes sense. Forgive me for my nervousness."

"Chief Arnook, I brought the Avatar and his friends." The waterbender said, stepping aside to reveal Zuko, Aang, Katara, and Sokka.

Zuko's eyes lit up at the sight of Iroh in the throne room. "Uncle!" He called, running across the room and wrapping him in a hug. "I'm so glad you came."

"I received your message, nephew." Iroh told him. "I'm so proud of you."

Chief Arnook smiled at the reunion. "I'm sorry about the nervousness here. When your Uncle Mushi arrived, we wanted to make sure he actually was who he says he is, and not a Fire Nation spy. But now that that's over, you all can go."

"Thank you Chief Arnook." Iroh said bowing, before following the Gaang out of the palace.

Zuko smiled as he led his uncle back to their house, glad to finally be reunited with him.

As soon as they had entered the house, Sokka closing the door behind them, Zuko turned to his uncle. "I told them about how I time-traveled. They know everything."

"I'm so proud of you, nephew." Iroh said, pulling Zuko into another hug. "You've become the person I've always thought you could be. You made friends, realized the mistakes of your father, and opened up."

Zuko hugged his uncle back, before finally separating. "Uncle, meet Aang, Sokka, and Katara. Everyone, this is my Uncle Iroh."

"It's an honor to meet you." Aang said, bowing. "Zuko has told us a lot about you."

Iroh bowed back. "The honor is mine, young Avatar. Now, do you have a plan?" He asked, sitting down on one of the furs.

"We told Chief Arnook about the Fire Nation's invasion plan." Zuko told his uncle. "As well as Zhao's plan to kill the Moon Spirit. Chief Arnook is planning on positioning extra sentries by the Spirit Oasis, and I volunteered myself as well. I do want to get back at Zhao, after all."

Iroh nodded. "Does the chief know you're a firebender?"

"No," Zuko said, shaking his head. "I didn't want him to turn us away, just because I'm a firebender. If it comes down to it, I'll use my bending, but by then he'll have seen me fight against the Fire Nation."

Iroh smiled. "I would like to help as well. After all, I am a formidable bender. They didn't call me the Dragon of the West for nothing."

"So, I guess we have our plan." Sokka said, nodding. "The only thing we can do now, is wait."

* * *

_Three days later..._

Aang stood in front of the palace, staring out across Agna Quel'a, Sokka and Katara next to him, as the Fire Nation ships appeared over the horizon. "You should go join Lee in the Spirit Oasis." He told Katara. "The Moon Spirit needs to be protected at all costs, and who better to help than a waterbender in her natural element."

"I'll see all of you later." She told them, hugging Sokka and Aang. "Stay safe."

Running back towards the palace, she reached the entrance to the Spirit Oasis, the guards stepping aside for her. Princess Yue and Zuko, who were both sitting down by the Oasis, looked up when she entered.

"Katara?" Zuko asked confused, looking up from sharpening his swords. "I thought you were with Sokka and Aang."

Katara nodded, stopping to catch her breath. "I was. But we all agreed it's better that I'm here. Who better to defend the Moon Spirit, than a waterbender in her native element?"

"Well, isn't this very touching." A voice sounded from near the door.

Katara narrowed her eyes. "Zhao."

"But I'm afraid it's not going to help you here." Zhao said, stepping out of the shadows, twenty Fire Nation soldiers behind him. "And Prince Zuko? I guess you've really turned traitor."

Zuko glared at him. "Of course you're here. Let me guess, you're here to slay the Moon Spirit and destroy the moon entirely."

"Oh well, it looks like you destroyed my entire monologue." Zhao sarcastically added. "It's no matter. I can take one barely trained waterbender and a weak firebender. And the Princess probably doesn't even know how to fight. And after I slay the moon, I can take you back as traitors to the Fire Nation. I think your father will pay quite handsomely for his traitor son."

Zuko scoffed. "Like my father cares about me at all, Zhao."

"You can't do this, Zhao." Iroh said, walking down into the Oasis. "Everyone needs the moon, even the Fire Nation."

Zhao narrowed his eyes at him. "Of course, why am I not surprised that you turned traitor as well as your nephew, General Iroh."

"The Fire Nation is an island, Zhao." Iroh reminded him. "We need the tides just as well as the Water Tribes need the power of the moon. You'll anger the spirits if you do, and you don't want to get on the bad side of the spirits."

Zhao scoffed. "You're always going on and on about the spirits. Do you think I care? From this day forth, I'll be known as Zhao the Moonslayer! I'm not scared of some spirits."

Before any of them could react, Zhao darted foreword, grabbing the white koi from the Oasis, and stuffing it in a bag. The black koi swam frantically in circles, missing its mate, while the moon turned as red as blood.

"No!" Aang cried, "You can't do this!"

Zhao smirked. "I think I can."

Zuko saw it coming before the rest of them did, as Zhao raised his hand and with one foul blow, struck down the Moon Spirit, the moon turning dark behind them. Zuko leapt across the pond, releasing a fire blast at Zhao, not caring who saw him anymore. Zhao ducked the blast, running back up towards the entrance, like the coward he was.

Dodging attacks from the Fire Nation soldiers, Zuko chased Zhao out of the Oasis, and onto the balcony looking down onto Agna Quel'a. Below them, firebenders and waterbenders were engaged in clashes, but with the moon gone, the firebenders were gaining the upper hand.

"I always knew you were weak Zuko, but I didn't think you were a traitor." Zhao taunted him.

Zuko grunted, dodging a fire blast. "No, I just finally realized that all of this is wrong. You're the traitor Zhao. Killing the moon, it will only serve to harm the Fire Nation."

"Now you sound like your kooky uncle." Zhao yelled back, unleashing another blast.

Zuko quickly dispelled the fire and launched back another attack at Zhao. "Well, maybe I finally realized that what's he's saying is right."

As Zhao parried his strike, a soft glow lit up the waters, which had gone dark in the absence of the moon, and slowly spread along, through the city and outwards towards the ocean. Both Zhao and Zuko looked up to see the moon regain its glow, and down below them, the waterbenders struck back in renewed vigor.

"No!" Zhao cried. "I slayed the moon. I'm supposed to be remembered for this."

Zuko smirked. "I guess you've been beat Zhao."

Before Zhao could fire back at Zuko, the large spirit form of Aang and the Ocean Spirit appeared, blasting firebenders away. As it reached for Zhao, Zuko stepped back, knowing that Zhao wouldn't accept his help, even if he tried. As the Ocean Spirit swallowed Zhao, Zuko leaned up against the railing of the ice balcony, watching as the spirit unleashed its fury on the Fire Nation soldiers and troops.

"Lee!" A voice called behind him, and Zuko turned around to see Katara, Iroh, and Sokka heading towards him, sadness etched on Sokka's face. "Where's Zhao?" Katara asked, coming to a stop in front of him.

Zuko gestured towards the Ocean Spirit. "The spirit took him. I guess as punishment for killing the Moon Spirit. What happened?"

"Yue is dead." Sokka sighed, and Zuko's heart dropped, knowing he failed at saving someone. "She sacrificed her life to bring back the moon."

Chief Arnook came up behind them. "I take it you're name isn't Lee, is it?" He asked.

"Are you mad?" Zuko asked, his heart dropping. "And no, my name is Zuko."

Chief Arnook shook his head. "I understand why you hid. I saw you fight Zhao. You may be a firebender, but you proved tonight that you aren't loyal to the Fire Nation."

"Do you want our help cleaning up?" Aang asked, gesturing to the city.

"No, I know you need to get to the Earth Kingdom to learn earthbending." Chief Arnook told them. "We have enough waterbenders that we'll be fine."

As they flew away from the the Northern Water Tribe, Sokka turned to Zuko. "Yue was the girlfriend who got turned into the moon, wasn't she?"

Zuko nodded. "Yeah, I think so."

"Why couldn't we have saved her?" Sokka asked, staring up at the moon. "Why did she have to die?"

Zuko sighed. "I guess there are some people who are destined for certain things, no matter how much we try to prevent it. And Yue was destined to become the moon, I guess. Even with all our knowledge, we sadly can't save everyone."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own the fight between Pakku and Katara. I love Katara in that fight so much, and I knew nothing else could top it. This will probably be the last time I use a fight directly from the show.
> 
> Also, wow, I did not expect this chapter to be so long. It even topped the chapter with Zuko explaining everything.


	12. I Didn’t Know Plants Could Do That

"Where should we go?" Aang asked, two days later, when they had finally landed in the Earth Kingdom. "We need to find me an earthbending master."

Sokka looked up. "How about Omashu? We could talk to Bumi and help liberate the city from the Fire Nation."

"We're not going to Omashu." Zuko spoke up quickly. "Besides, Bumi is waiting for the eclipse to free the city. He didn't want your help last time, and told you to find a different earthbending teacher."

Sokka smirked. "I think you just don't want to run into Mai."

"That's not it at all." Zuko denied, but the red blush covering his face gave him away.

Sokka nodded. "Suuure."

"Besides, we need to find Toph." Zuko told them. "None of you have met her yet, but she really is the best one to teach Aang."

Katara glanced down at their map. "Where does she live, anyway?"

"Gaoling." Zuko said, pointing to a spot. "It's about a day's worth of flying from here."

Aang turned around. "Are you sure she'll be there?"

"Not sure." Zuko said, shrugging. "She should be, though. Her parents never let her leave before she ran away to join you. Most people didn't even know the Beifongs had a daughter. We should check the Earth Rumple tournaments, since that's where you found her last time."

Katara frowned. "That's awful. I can't imagine parents not acknowledging that your child exists."

"Me neither." Zuko said, shaking his head. "At least my father acknowledged my existence. We probably shouldn't mention that we know this at first, though. I'm going to tell her how I've time-traveled, but telling someone you know their whole life story when you first meet them is kinda creepy."

Sokka turned around. "And you're sure that we're going to Gaoling right away, because you want to find Aang's earthbending teacher, and not because you're trying to avoid your ex?"

"Shut up." Zuko groaned, dropping his face in his hands "And she's not really my ex. Not in this timeline, at least."

"That's what they all say." Sokka commented sagely.

* * *

Several hours later, the Gaang was startled out of their musings, when a large tornado seemingly appeared out of nowhere, below in the forest. Katara, Zuko, and Sokka struggled to hold on as Aang tugged on the reins, attempting to pull Appa out of the tornado. Zuko grabbed Momo with his free hand, as the little lemur struggled to hold onto the saddle.

"Be prepared for a bumpy landing." Aang yelled, as the tornado spat them out, and sent Appa careening towards the swamp below.

As they crashed through the trees, Zuko felt himself getting thrown across the forest. Landing hard in a tree branch, he hung on, determined not to go falling onto the ground.

As the dust settled, Zuko heard Katara call out. "Is everyone okay?"

"I'm fine." Zuko called back, jumping down from the branch, which was only a few feet off the ground, Momo still clutching his shirt.

Sokka groaned from where he was hanging upside down on a nearby tree. "Where did that tornado come from?"

"I don't know." Aang said, chipper as ever, as he freed himself from the vines tangling around his legs. "But I know it sounds weird, but I felt like this swamp was calling to me."

Sokka frowned. "That's ridiculous. How can a swamp call to you?"

"It's probably some sort of Avatar stuff." Zuko said, shrugging. "That's what it usually is."

Katara turned to him. "Did this happen last time?"

"No idea." Zuko told her. "If it did, I never heard about it."

Sokka swung his club, chopping plants out of the way. "Well, we need to find Appa and get out of here. I don't want to be stuck in this swamp any longer than we have to be."

"Wait, Sokka." Aang called. "I don't think we should be harming the plants."

Sokka rolled his eyes. "They're just a bunch of weeds. They're not going to do anything."

"Okay, but we should stick together." Katara said, looking around. "This place gives me the creeps."

Zuko nodded. "I agree with you there."

"Let's just go." Aang said, jumping through the trees. "We need to find Appa as soon as we can."

* * *

"I think we should stop for the night." Zuko said, several hours later, as they trooped through the swamp, unsuccessfully searching for Appa. "It's getting dark, and the longer we stay in here, the more creepy this place gets."

Katara nodded. "I agree with Zuko. I know we're alone out here, but something about this place makes me feel like we're being watched."

"That's ridiculous." Sokka scoffed, slicing through the weeds. "The only thing out here, besides us, is the animals."

Spotting a piece of land up ahead, Aang gestured to it. "How about there? Zuko, do you think you can make a fire?"

"Sure," Zuko said, shrugging. "It seems like a good place to stop."

The four kids hurried up to the piece of land, Zuko grabbing some nearby sticks and twigs to make a fire with, as the light got dimmer and dimmer. As Katara huddled around the small fire, she shivered, getting seriously creeped out about this place.

"The sooner we can find Appa and get out of here, the better." Zuko muttered, holding his hands closer to the fire."

Sokka nodded. "I agree with you there, buddy."

"Let's just get some sleep." Aang suggested. "There's nothing we can do until the morning."

* * *

Several hours later, Zuko was startled awake, by a vine that wrapped around his, Katara's, Aang's, and Sokka's ankles, pulling them in opposite directions. Scrambling for purchase, Zuko could hear the terrified screams of his friends, as he shot a fire blast at the vines wrapping around his ankle, blasting them away.

Flipping onto the ground, Zuko shot fire at the vines, which had recovered and came flying towards him. From somewhere nearby, he could hear the sounds of Katara, Sokka, and Aang struggling with their own vines.

The suddenly, just as soon as they had come, the vines disappeared, and a thick fog rolled in out of seemingly nowhere, obstructing Zuko's view.

"Katara! Sokka! Aang!" He cried, but received no answer.

Elsewhere in the swamp, unbeknownst to Zuko, Sokka, Katara, and Aang did the same thing, but still received no response.

"Stupid swamp." Zuko groaned, struggling through the water in hopes of finding one of his friends. "Sokka just had to chop at the weeds and piss off the swamp. Now who knows when we'll make it to Gaoling."

Attempting to peer through the thick fog, Zuko gasped as he spotted the skirts of the one person he missed most in the world, hurrying through the swamp ahead of him.

"Mom?" He questioned, hoping it wasn't a figment of his imagination, or some weird byproduct of the swamp gases.

The person giggled, running farther away. "Come on Zuko, it's time to feed the turtleducks."

"Mom!" Zuko called, running after her, tears threatening to pick at the corner of his eyes. "Wait for me!"

She turned around, and for the first time since he was ten, Zuko found himself faced with his mother. "My sweet baby boy." She said, softly. "Remember what I told you, never forget who you are."

As she finished talking, she began to fade away, leaving nothing but sunlight and dust specks, and causing Zuko to wonder if she was ever there at all. Looking around confused, Zuko found himself in the middle of nowhere, with no idea where he was.

Suddenly, crashing sounded from his right, and Zuko raised his hands, fire sparking from them, only for Katara, Sokka, and Aang to tumble out, head over heels.

"Zuko?" Sokka asked, dazed. "How'd you get here?"

Zuko extinguished the fire. "I was going to ask you the same thing."

"What were you all doing?" Sokka asked, standing up. "I was looking everywhere for you."

Katara brushed off her dress. "Well, I was looking for you too."

"I was chasing a girl." Aang admitted, airbending himself up and rubbing his head.

Sokka, Katara, and Zuko turned to him. "What girl?" Zuko asked, confused.

"I don't know." Aang said, shrugging. "I heard laughing and then I saw some girl in a fancy dress with a flying boar and I followed her. Next thing I know, I ran into Katara, literally."

Katara looked down sighing. "I thought I saw mom."

"I thought I saw my mom too." Zuko admitted.

Sokka shrugged. "Well, we all thought we saw someone. It must be the swamp gases getting to us, or our hunger."

"Did you see someone too, Sokka?" Zuko asked.

Sokka looked away. "Yes, but it doesn't matter who I saw. It wasn't real."

"Maybe there's a reason we all saw someone." Aang said, looking up. "We all ended up right here, in the heart of the swamp."

Sokka sighed, throwing his hands up. "It's just some swamp. And that's just some tree. There's nothing magical going on here, just our minds playing tricks on us. There's a perfectly logical explanation for all of this."

Before any of them could react, the water exploded outward, nearly knocking them off of the tree branch they were standing on. Momo flew out of Zuko's shirt, and up into the trees to safety. When the spray of the water cleared, Zuko's jaw dropped, as he took in the sight of a large creature composed of vines, and a face that looked like it was made of bark.

"How do you explain that Sokka?" Aang asked, sending a blast of air at the swamp creature.

Sokka slashed at the vines with his club, barely running away in time as the vines came flying towards him. "I don't know! You're the Avatar! Maybe you have an answer!"

"If I had an answer, why would I be asking you?" Aang yelled back, sending a wave of water at the creature.

Zuko rolled his eyes, before bending a wave of fire at the vines. "Maybe we should focus on fighting this thing, before we discuss what it is?"

Katara shook her head at them, before freezing water and sending flying ice shards at the swamp creature, slicing through the vines, which unfortunately regrew where she cut them. Using his airbending to boost himself up in the air, Aang flew to the top of the creature, sending blasts of air at its head to slice through some vines.

Sokka, who had run out of the reach of the vines, for fear of getting pulled in, threw his boomerang at the creature, slicing an arm clean off. Grinning once he realized what Sokka was attempting to do, Zuko ran around to the other side of the creature, sending quick blasts of fire that singed the plants, and caused the other arm to fall off, as the vines holding it disintegrated from the heat.

Katara froze a block of ice, shooting shards at the creature, which cut slashes through the center of it, and making it harder for the vines to reform. Aang, noticing this, jumping off the top of it and joined Katara.

"There's someone in there!" Zuko yelled, spotting a man through the vines, struggling to hold them together.

Smirking, Katara sent one last ice shard towards the vines, completely severing them, and revealing the man inside. He was tanned, with grey eyes, and plants for clothes.

"Who are you and why were you trying to kill us?" Sokka demanded, pointing his club at the man.

Aang glared at him. "Why did you call me here?"

"I didn't call you here." The man said, confused.

Sokka, Katara, Zuko, and Aang glanced at each other, unsure. "Aang heard the swamp calling to him. This is normal for us, he's the Avatar. But you're the only person we've seen so far." Zuko told him.

"Come with me." The man told them. "I have something to show you."

Shrugging, the four teens followed him towards the tree in the center of the swamp, and up its branches, until they were so high, they could see over the swamp.

"Who are you?" Katara asked, confused.

The man bent vines away, allowing them to continue walking. "I'm the protector of the swamp. I protect it from people who want to hurt it, like your friend here with his club."

"See, there was a completely logical explanation." Sokka told them. "He's just some guy who's defending his home. There's nothing mystical going on here."

The man sat down on the tree, looking up at them. "Oh the swamp is a mystical place all right. It's sacred. I reached enlightenment right here under the banyan-grove tree. I heard it calling me, just like you did."

"Sure you did. It seems real chatty." Sokka said, rolling his eyes.

Zuko shook his head, wacking Sokka in the arm, and earning a good natured glare from the other boy. "Be nice." He scolded.

"See this whole swamp is actually just one tree spread out over miles. Branches spread and sink, take root, and spread some more." The man explained. "One big, living organism. Just like the entire world."

Aang glanced at him, confused. "I get how the tree is one big thing, but the whole world?"

"Sure. You think you're any different from me, or your friends, or this tree? If you listen hard enough, you can hear every living thing breathing together. You can feel everything growing. We're all living together, even if most folks don't act like it. We all have the same roots, and we are all branches of the same tree." The man explained.

Katara looked up at him. "But what did our visions mean?"

"In the swamp, we see visions of people we've lost, people we loved, folks we think are gone. But the swamp tells us they're not. We're still connected to them. Time is an illusion and so is death." The man finished sagely.

Aang glanced up at him. "But what about my vision? It was someone I had never met."

"You're the Avatar. You tell me." The man said, shrugging.

Aang glanced out at the swamp "Time is an illusion. So, it's someone I will meet."

As the man nodded, Sokka interrupted. "Sorry to interrupt the lesson, but we still need to find Appa."

"I think I know how to find them." Aang told them. "Everything is connected." He knelt down, placing his hand on the tree. For the longest time, no one said anything, until Aang finally stood up. "Come on! We've got to hurry!"

The Gaang ran down the banyan-grove tree, the man following behind them, as Aang led them through the swamp. Bursting out of the trees, Aang sent a jet of water towards the swampbenders, destroying one of the boats.

"Appa!" Aang yelled, spotting the sky bison struggling in the ropes he was wrapped in.

Aang send a stream of air at the swampbenders, throwing more out of their boats and into the water below.

"We're under attack!" One of the swampbenders yelled.

One of the other swampbenders waterbended towards Aang and Katara, who fired back at him, throwing up a wall of water to block his blasts.

Katara stared at him in suprise. "Hey, you guys are waterbenders!"

"You too! That means we're kin!" He yelled back, dropping his water. "Hey Huu! How you been?" He yelled up to the mystery man.

Huu shrugged. "You know, scared some folks, swung some vines, the usual."

"Huu?" Sokka asked, confused.

Zuko shook his head. "Why am I not surprised?"

"How about you come back to our camp?" One of the swampbenders suggested. "It's an apology for trying to eat your bison."

Aang shrugged. "Why not?"

The Gaang followed the swampbenders through the swamp, arriving at a piece of land centered in the middle of the swamp. Canvas tents were littered around in a circle, with a crackling fire in the center. Other swampbenders walked around the camp, as catgators lay around. The group took their place around the fire, and one of the swampbenders named Due handed them their food.

"How you like that possum chicken?" He asked.

Sokka shrugged. "Tastes just like arctic hen. So why were you guys so interested in eating Appa? You've got plenty of those big things wandering around." He asked, gesturing to one of the catgators.

"You want me to eat old Slim?" Due asked, shocked. "He's like a member of the family!" He told them, tossing a fish to Slim.

Zuko raised an eyebrow at him. "You call the catgator Slim?"

"Sure do." Due said, grinning.

Sokka gulped. "Nice Slim!" Before tossing a bug at the catgator, bouncing it off its nose, who growled at Sokka.

"Oh, he don't eat no bugs!" Due said, laughing. "That's people food."

One of the other swampbenders named Tho turned to them. "Where'd you say you was from?" He asked.

"The South Pole." Katara told them. "And Zuko's from the Fire Nation."

Tho thought for a second. "Didn't know there was waterbenders anywhere but here. They got a nice swamp there, do they?"

"No, it's all ice and snow." Katara told him.

Tho thought for a second. "Hmm. No wonder you left."

"Well, I hope you realize now that nothing strange was going on here." Sokka said, turning to them. "Just a bunch of greasy people living in a swamp."

Katara raised an eyebrow at him. "What about the visions?"

"I told you, we were hungry. I'm eating a giant bug!" Sokka said, gesturing to the bug in his hand, before taking a bite.

Zuko nodded. "I agree with Sokka. If it wasn't hunger, it was probably swamp gases or something like that."

"But what about when the tree showed me where Appa was?" Aang asked, looking up from feeding Momo.

Sokka shrugged. "That's Avatar stuff, that doesn't count. The only thing I can't figure out is how you made that tornado that sucked us down." He told Huu

"I can't do anything like that. I just bend the water in the plants." Huu said, confused.

Sokka shrugged. "Well, no accounting for weather. Still, there's absolutely nothing mysterious about the swamp."

"We should probably get going," Zuko told them. "If we want to make it to Gaoling by tomorrow."

Aang nodded and jumped up onto Appa, waiting for the others to climb on. "Appa, yip-yip!" He called, snapping the reins once everyone was on.

"Goodbye!" Katara called down to the swampbenders, who waved.

"Finally, on to Gaoling!" Sokka announced, as they flew away from the Foggy Swamp, and towards the town.

Zuko turned to Aang. "I think I know who that girl is that you saw in the swamp, Aang. I didn't want to say anything with Huu and the swampbenders there, though."

"Who is it?" Aang asked, excited. "Do I meet her?"

Zuko nodded. "I think you saw Toph. Her family's symbol is the flying boar. And you saw her wearing a fancy dress, which makes sense since her family is high society."

"Maybe you saw her because she's going to be your earthbending teacher." Katara suggested. "After all, we were heading to Gaoling when we got pulled into the swamp."

Aang stared out across the sky. "Yeah, maybe."

* * *

Iroh headed into a nearby Earth Kingdom town, knowing he needed to get more supplies before journeying to Ba Sing Se. It had been four days since the Siege of the Northern Water Tribe, and for his help, Chief Arnook had some of his soldiers bring him back to the Earth Kingdom.

As he pursued through the markets, Iroh heard a voice he hadn't expected to hear. "Mushi?"

"Rano?" Iroh asked, surprised and turning around to see the younger solider standing there. "What are you doing here?"

Derai shrugged. "The same as you. I'm buying some supplies before continuing on."

"Where are you going?" Iroh asked, as they walked through the stalls.

Derai looked up from some cabbages that a nearby vender was selling. "Ba Sing Se. How about you?"

"That's where I'm going." Iroh told him excitedly. "How about we journey there together?"

Derai smiled, paying the merchant. "That would be wonderful."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't own the part with the swampbenders and Huu, that's all from the show.


	13. The Blind Bandit

_The next day..._

"I see Gaoling!" Aang cried, pointing down towards where a small town was nestled in among the trees.

Zuko shook his head. "You're really excited, aren't you?"

"Of course I am." Aang said, grinning. "I finally get to meet my earthbending teacher. She sounds cool."

Katara looked up. "We still have to figure out how to get her to come with us. She's not just going to follow you for no reason Aang."

"Well, I suppose we could do what you did last time." Zuko suggested. "That seemed to work before."

Aang shrugged. "Works for me."

Aang guided Appa down to the ground, landing him in an open clearing as Zuko, Sokka, and Katara hopped off.

"Be good buddy." He told Appa, patting him on the head. "Watch out for Momo while we're gone."

Zuko grabbed his bag off of Appa's saddle, and the group headed towards the town.

"We should practice sparing after we find Toph." Sokka suggested to Zuko, as they walked. "I know we got my sword a while back, but we haven't had any time to practice."

Zuko nodded. "I do want to practice with my swords. I've been able to practice my firebending, but I don't want my sword fighting to fall behind."

"That's a great idea!" Aang agreed. "Katara can practice waterbending, and since we'd have found Toph, and hopefully convinced her to join us, I can start earthbending training."

Katara smiled. "You'll have an earthbending master, and we already have Zuko for firebending. You'll be able to master all the elements before the comets comes in no time."

"And, we'll have plenty of time to figure out how to stop our deaths. Who knew having you with us would be so useful, jerkbender?" Sokka said, turning to Zuko.

Zuko rolled his eyes. "I seriously hope that's not the only reason I'm with you."

"Of course not, Zuko." Sokka said, throwing his arm around the taller boy. "You're here because you're our friend, and we adopted you since your father sucks."

Aang looked around as they arrived at the entrance to Gaoling. "We should all keep our eyes out. Who knows where Toph will be?"

"How about we check there first?" Zuko suggested, pointing to a rather large house at the edge of town. "The Beifongs are a rich family."

Katara walked up to one of the villagers, a boy about their age. "Do you know who lives in that house?" She asked, batting her eyes at him.

"Yeah," the boy blushed. "That's the Beifongs' house. They're the rich family that run this town."

Aang slid over. "The Beifongs? Do they happen to have a daughter?"

"No." He shook his head. "They don't have any kids. You're probably thinking of someone else."

Katara and Aang walked back to Sokka and Zuko, who had been watching the conversation with interest. "Well, I think you got something wrong, Zuko." Aang told him. "The Beifongs don't have a daughter."

"That's just what they want you to think." Zuko corrected him. "This happened last time. The Beifongs are so embarrassed that Toph's blind, no one knows they have a daughter."

Sokka stared up at the intimating house as they walked up the door to it. "How do we get in? Somewhere like this looks like they would have a lot of guards."

"Aang's the Avatar isn't it?" Zuko said, smirking. "I'm sure the rich Beifongs would love to host the Avatar. But, we can't go yet."

Katara turned to him, confused. "Why? This is why we came here."

"Toph's never going to go with you if she hasn't met you before." Zuko told her. "We'll go to one of the tournaments, and Aang can challenge her. When he beats her, she'll storm away, and then we'll come here. Aang will be able to convince her when they talk in the garden, and she'll run away to join us."

Aang stared at him in shock. "How am I going to beat her? You said she's the best earthbender in the world, and I don't even know earthbending."

"You don't use earthbending." Zuko explained, smirking. "Last time, you used airbending to toss her out of the ring."

Sokka shrugged. "What are we waiting for? Let's go find this earthbending master."

* * *

As they walked into the Earth Rumple arena, Sokka's jaw dropped. "This is amazing!" He gushed. "Why didn't I know this was here?"

"Remember, we're here to find Toph, not to watch the earthbenders." Zuko reminded him.

Sokka slung his arm around Zuko's shoulder, steering him towards their seats. "Lighten up jerkbender. Who says we can't have fun and look for Toph at the same time?"

"Sokka's right Zuko." Aang said, leaning over. "Besides, she's the champion, which means we'll have a lot of matches to watch before we get to her."

Katara shook her head. "Boys."

The three of them took their seats, as the matches started. There was no one near them, mainly because they were right by where the flying stones would hit, so they were able to talk freely about Aang being the Avatar, and Zuko's time-traveling.

"Now, the moment you've all been waiting for!" Xin Fu announced. "The Boulder versus your champion, The Blind Bandit!"

Zuko leaned foreword, grinning. "I'm excited to see this."

"Is the Blind Bandit, Toph?" Katara asked.

Zuko nodded. "You'll see why she's supposed to be Aang's earthbending teacher."

A stone pillar rose from below the arena, revealing a small girl dressed in green. She had no shoes on, and her black hair was tied back in a bun, with two white circles on either side.

"Is she really blind?" Aang asked, leaning foreword.

Zuko rolled his eyes. "I've told you this multiple times. She is." Zuko turned back to the arena, eager to watch the fight.

"The Boulder feels conflicted about fighting a young blind girl." He yelled, turning to his opponent.

Toph pointed at the Boulder mockingly. "Sounds to me like you're scared, Boulder!"

"The Boulder's over his conflicted feelings," he yelled back after a shocked pause, before narrowing his eyes at Toph. "And now he's ready to bury you in a rock-alanche!"

Toph laughed, throwing her head back. "Whenever you're ready, The Pebble!"

"It's on!" The Boulder yelled.

The Boulder ran foreword, slamming his heel into the ground. Toph moved foreword, holding her arms out, before striking the ground with her foot, causing a shock wave in the ground, which rippled towards the Boulder.

The shock wave hit the Boulder, causing him to go into the splits and scream, a look of pain on his face. Toph made a chopping motion with her right hand, causing three stalagmites to erupt from the ground near The Boulder, and eject him from the ring. He slammed into the wall beneath the stands, sliding down into the crevice between the arena and the stands.

"Your winner, and still the champion, the Blind Bandit!" Xin Fu announced, as Toph smirked.

Katara turned to the rest of the Gaang. "That was impressive."

"Now you all see what I mean." Zuko said, smiling.

Sokka slung his arm around Aang's shoulder. "Now all you have to do, is go beat her. No pressure champ!"

"How do I do that?" Aang asked, sounding concerned.

Zuko smiled. "Just use airbending to knock her off, but make it look like you used earthbending. You'll be fine."

"To make things a little more interesting, I'm offering up this sack of gold pieces to anyone who can defeat the Blind Bandit!" Xin Fu announced, holding up a bag of money. "What? No one dares to face her?"

Aang jumped up. "I will!"

He made his way down to the arena, jumping down the stands, until he was standing in the middle, in front of Toph.

"Do people really want to see two little girls fighting out here?" Toph teased.

Aang turned to her. "I just want to talk to you."

He took a step backwards, as Toph smiled, before stomping the ground and sending a shock wave out, causing a large rock to grow out of the ground underneath Aang, who was launched into the air, before landing softly on the ground behind her. She turned around to his face him, her face betraying her confusion.

"Somebody's a little light on his feet!" Toph accused. "What's your fighting name: the Fancy Dancer?" She launched another pillar, lifting Aang up again. "Where'd you go?"

Aang yelled after her. "Please, wait!"

"There you are!" Toph smirked.

She launched a rock at him, which Aang sent a blast of air towards, knocking the rock away and sending Toph flying out of the ring. The entire arena went dealthy quiet, before erupting into cheers. Aang ran over to the set of stairs going down to the bottom of the pit, spotting Toph walking away.

"Please, wait!" He yelled after her. "I need an earthbending teacher, and it's supposed to be you!"

Toph scowled, not turning around. "Whoever you are, just leave me alone."

She earthbended a doorway through the wall, closing it behind her before Aang could follow. Sighing, he headed back up the stairs, towards where Zuko, Sokka, and Katara were gathered with Xin Fu.

"Come on, let's get out of here." Zuko told them, as Sokka grabbed their winnings from one of Xin Fu's assistants.

As soon as they were far enough away from the arena, Aang turned to Zuko. "Now what? I fought her and won, but she still won't listen to me."

"She knows who you are, now." Zuko told him. "This is what happened last time anyway." He looked back up towards the hill. "Tomorrow, we can go visit the Beifongs."

* * *

_The next day..._

"So, do we just walk up there and ask to see the Beifongs?" Sokka asked, staring up at the large, walled in mansion, with guards stationed outside the gate.

Zuko shrugged. "I suppose. Aang's the Avatar, remember. And I'm Lee during this. I don't think the Beifongs would take well to the banished Prince of the Fire Nation visiting them."

"State your business." One of the guards announced, as Aang, Katara, Sokka, and Zuko walked up to the gated entrance.

Aang stepped foreword. "I'm the Avatar. I was hoping I could speak to Mr. and Mrs. Beifong."

"Can you prove you're the Avatar?" The guard asked, narrowing his eyes. "The Avatar should be able to bend multiple elements."

Katara handed Aang her water flask, and he bended a small amount of water out of it, forming it into a globe, before replacing the water and handing the flask back to Katara. He then formed his air scooter, riding it around in circles, before hopping off of it and standing in front of the guard again.

The guard nodded. "Very well. I'll take you to Mr. and Mrs. Beifong."

The guard led them through the well manicured lawns and richly decorated hallways of the mansion. Aang, Katara, and Sokka looked around in shock, having never seen a place this fancy in their life. Zuko shook his head at them, and continued to follow the guard. It reminded him too much of the palace, with its guards, servants, and impersonal decor, for him to really enjoy it.

The guard arrived outside one of the rooms in the house, gesturing to them to stay put, before slipping into the room. A couple of minutes later, he came out.

"Come with me." He gestured to them, leading them to another room.

The Gaang stepped inside, where the Beifongs, along with another man with a long grey beard, were sitting at a long dining room table. They took the open seats, with Aang sitting next to Mr. Beifong and across from Toph.

As one of the servants brought a cup of soup to Toph, Mr. Beifong turned to him. "Blow on it. It's too hot for her."

"Allow me." Aang told him, sending a small tornado to blow on Toph's soup. As everyone clapped, Zuko fought the urge to roll his eyes. It was just a little tornado, there was nothing really impressive about it.

Mrs. Beifong turned to Aang. "Avatar Aang, it's an honor to have you visit us."

"In your opinion, how much longer do think the war will last?" Mr. Beifong asked.

Aang thought for a second. "I'd like to defeat the Fire Lord by the end of summer, but I can't do that without finding an earthbending teacher first."

Zuko darted his eyes to look at Toph, noticing the glare she was sending to Aang, and he knew she knew the real reason they had come there.

"Well, Master Yu is the finest teacher in the land. He's been teaching Toph since she was little." Mr. Beifong told them, gesturing to the man across from Zuko.

Aang grinned. "Then she must be a great earthbender! Probably good enough to teach someone else! Ow!" He exclaimed, sitting up.

Zuko inwardly chuckled. He had been with the Gaang long enough before Sozin's Comet, that he knew Aang's behavior had to do with something that Toph had done.

"Toph is still learning the basics." Master Yu told them.

Mr. Beifong sighed. "Yes, and sadly, because of her blindness, I don't think she will ever become a true master."

"Oh, I'm sure she's better than you think she is." Aang told them.

Suddenly, Aang fell foreword, dropping his face into the bowl of soup. The rest of the people at the table's eyes snapped to him, as Aang rubbed the soup of out of his eyes, before sneezing and sending the food flying towards the Beifongs. Zuko rolled his eyes. He should have known that the two twelve year olds would have done something at this dinner, knowing both Toph and Aang's personality.

"What's your problem?!" Toph demanded.

Aang glared back at her. "What's your problem?"

"Well, shall we move to the living room for dessert, then?" Mrs. Beifong suggested.

Zuko stood up. "Thank you for the offer, Mrs. Beifong, but my companions and I have been traveling all day. We are rather tired."

"We'll have one of the servants show you to your room." Mr. Beifong said. "What did you say your name is?"

Zuko smiled. "Lee."

One of the servants gestured for them to follow, and they headed down the hallway, stopping outside one of the many guest rooms. The Gaang entered, and Zuko closed the door behind them.

"How are we going to get her to listen to us now?" Aang asked, falling back onto one of the beds.

Zuko smiled. "Just wait. I know Toph. She'll show up."

* * *

Sure enough, less than an hour later, the door creaked open, and the four of them turned to see Toph, standing at the doorway. Aang raised his hands as he noticed her.

"Relax. Look, I'm sorry about dinner. Let's call a truce, okay?" She told them, as Aang lowered his arms.

Zuko turned to her. "Toph, we think you're supposed to be Aang's earthbending teacher."

"How could I be his teacher?" She asked, gesturing to the room around her. "I'm stuck here, not like you guys."

Zuko sighed, sitting down on the bed. "Look, I have some experience with the way rich families are run. Your parents aren't going to let you leave. They're going to keep you here, until you're of some use, and they can marry you off to some rich Earth Kingdom family. Unless, you take your fate into your own hands. If you come with us, you can escape your parents. I know you can leave without them knowing, you've been sneaking off to the Earth Rumple tournaments for years."

"You sound like someone who was raised in a noble family." She told him. "What's your story? Did you run away too?"

Zuko turned away. "Kind of. Look, my story's different. If you come with us, I'll tell you, but I'm not comfortable talking about it here."

"Do you really think I can just leave, run away with you?" Toph asked.

Aang nodded. "You can."

"Why not?" Toph said, shrugging. "It sounds like fun, and I'm sure I'll get to beat up plenty of people with my bending."

Zuko grinned. "Oh you will. So, we need a plan."

"I can sneak out tomorrow night." Toph told them. "You four should leave like normal, tomorrow morning, and we'll choose a place to meet up. Then, I'll sneak out tomorrow night and meet you."

Aang looked out the window. "How about the hill right outside town?"

"Works for me." Toph said, shrugging. "I'll need one of you to help me write a letter. I don't want to leave my parents with no explanation as to where I went. As much as they try to shelter me, they're still my parents."

Katara stepped foreword. "I'll help."

As Toph dictated to Katara what she wanted to write, and Sokka and Aang packed their bags so they could leave in the morning, Zuko leaned back against the wall, smiling. For the first time since he traveled back in time, his family was whole. And soon, they would all be on the road again, and everything would be right.

* * *

_The next night..._

Lao and Poppy Beifong were startled awake the following night, by a servant running into the room.

"Mr. and Mrs. Beifong!" The servant panted out. "You need to come see this!"

The two parents jumped out of their bed, running after the servant and down the hall, into Toph's room. Another servant, Toph's nanny, an Earth Kingdom woman named Anan, wordlessly handed them a rolled up scroll. Unrolling it, Lao and Poppy gasped at what was written.

 _Dear mom and dad,_  
 _Katara, the girl with the Avatar, is helping me write this. I thought it would be better if I told you where I was going, instead of just disappearing. I'm going with the Avatar, to help him learn earthbending. I know you think I'm your harmless, weak, little girl, but I'm not. I'm an earthbender, and I'm really,_ really _good at it. If you want proof, just go to the Earth Rumple tournaments and ask about the Blind Bandit, that's me. Please don't come looking for me. I'll come back when I'm ready. Someone told me recently, that I need to start deciding my own fate. And I think that's what I'm going to do._  
 _Your loving daughter,_  
 _Toph_

"What do you want us to do, sir?" One of the guards asked.

Lao Beifong looked up, fury burning in his eyes. "Go find Master Yu and Xin Fu. I have a mission for them."

* * *

Zuko looked up from sharpening his blades, as he sat in Appa's saddle, as Toph ran up the hill towards them.

"Are you ready to go?" He asked her, putting the swords in their sheath.

Toph grinned, earthbending a pillar of earth, that she used to climb into the saddle. "Of course I am. Let's go."

"Yip yip!" Aang called, snapping the reins, and the group flew away from Gaoling for the last time.

* * *

"We're finally here." Iroh announced, as he and Derai stepped through the final checkpoint. "Ba Sing Se."

Derai turned to him, as they walked along the street. "What do you want to do now, sir?"

"Since we're refugees, don't call me sir." Iroh told him. "From now on, you're Rano, and I'm your Uncle Mushi. As for what we want to do, I've always dreamed about working up to my own tea shop."

Derai smiled at Iroh. "Then that's what we'll do. Do you have any idea where to start, or what to call your tea shop?"

"I've always liked the name, _The Jasmine Dragon_." Iroh admitted. "And, I have an idea." He said, looking down the street, where _Pao's Tea Shop_ was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! Toph's finally here. I'm excited for this, since she is one of my favorite characters and really fun to write.
> 
> I don't own the dialogue during Toph and Aang's fight, or at dinner with the Beifongs.


	14. A Sister’s Return

"I think this is far enough away." Aang announced, an hour later, once they were far enough from Gaoling, that they knew no one would catch them.

Zuko jumped off of Appa's saddle, pulling his tent off. "Thank Agni. I'm tired."

"Let's not worry about camp tonight." Sokka agreed, jumping down with his own tent. "I just want to collapse."

Nodding in agreement, both Aang and Katara climbed down from Appa, and set their own tents up quickly, Toph simply erected a stone tent, and all five of them collapsed into a deep slumber.

* * *

Less than an hour later, they were all awoken suddenly, by Toph's voice. "There's someone coming!"

"Who's coming?" Sokka asked blearily, blinking sleep out of his eyes.

Toph shrugged. "How am I supposed to know? I can't tell who they are, but I can tell they're coming."

"Helpful." Sokka deadpanned.

Zuko climbed out of his bedroll, and hurried over to the top of the hill, peering over it and looking down. His eyes widened as he took in the sight below him. "This is bad. This is really fucking bad."

"Zuko? What's going on?" Sokka demanded.

Toph glanced between the two of them. "I thought his name was Lee."

"It's my sister." Zuko told him, filing the problem of telling Toph who he was, and explaining the situation, away as a future problem. "And probably Mai and Ty Lee."

Katara rolled up her bed roll, as Aang climbed out of his. "Are they after you?"

"Probably not." Zuko said, shaking his head. "The only one who really knows I deflected is Zhao, and he's dead. They're most likely looking for Aang."

Sokka threw the rest of their belongings onto Appa, as the rest climbed up. "Then let's hope that Appa can outfly your sister, her friends, and their weird metal machine."

* * *

Six hours later, the five of them had still gotten little sleep, and Azula was still chasing them.

"How is she following us?" Katara demanded, the bags under her eyes betraying how sleep deprived she was.

Zuko looked around the campsite, desperate to figure out what Azula was doing, when it struck him, and it took all of Zuko's willpower not to facepalm. "Appa's shedding!" He announced. "That's how Azula's following us."

"But what should we do about it?" Aang asked, scratching his head.

Zuko leaned over, picking up some of Appa's scattered hairs off of the ground. "We create a diversion."

* * *

"Where did they go?" Ty Lee asked, looking around at the clearing on the other side of the river, where she and Mai had chased the Avatar's friends.

Mai shrugged. "How would I know?"

"Nice to see you two here." A voice sounded from behind them, and Mai and Ty Lee whipped around.

Standing behind them and leaning casually against a tree, was Zuko. He looked much older than when they last saw him, and was dressed in Earth Kingdom greens. His black hair was down and scraggly, with a large burn scar covering his left eye.

"Zuko! What are you doing here?" Ty Lee exclaimed.

Zuko pushed himself off of the tree. "Stopping you two from going after the Avatar."

He shot a fireball at the two of them, and both girls jumped just out of the way, to avoid getting burned. Being friends with Azula for so long had allowed them to perfect the technique of evading a firebender. The two Water Tribe teenagers jumped out from behind the bushes and trees, the girl sent a wave of water towards Mai, nearly knocking her over in the process, while the boy sent his boomerang flying towards Ty Lee.

"Why?" Ty Lee asked, bending backwards to avoid the boomerang. "Do you want the Avatar for yourself? So you can go home?"

Mai threw several knives at the girl, who smacked them away with a wave of water. "I don't think so. There are rumors that a firebender is working with the Avatar."

"Mai's right." Zuko said, sending a blast of fire at his ex-girlfriend. "I am working with the Avatar."

Ty Lee stopped in shock, barely dodging a swing from the Water Tribe boy's club. "But why? You're Fire Nation."

"Let's just say, I've realized some things about this war lately, and I'm trying to stop it." Zuko responded, sending one last mighty blast of fire, that knocked both girls unconscious. "Come on," he said, gesturing to Sokka and Katara. "Let's go help Aang and Toph."

As they hopped onto Appa, Katara taking the spot at Appa's reins, Sokka turned to Zuko with a shit-eating grin. "So that was Mai?"

"Yes." Zuko said, sighing.

"I can see why you like her. She's gloomy just like you."

Zuko rolled his eyes, flipping off the other boy. "Just shut up Sokka."

They followed the trail that Aang had left, making quicker time than the other boy had on his glider, until they reached an abandoned town in the middle of nowhere. Flashes of fire, as well as earth shooting up and moving, betrayed the battle that was going on below. Landing Appa just outside the town, all three of them jumped off, running towards the fight.

Zuko sent a blast of fire at Azula, who had to whip around and dissipate it, leaving her back open for Aang's air blast, which sent her stumbling a couple of steps.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't my disappointment of a brother." She grinned. "I heard rumors that you turned traitor, it seems I was correct."

She sent a blast of fire at Zuko, who countered it with his own blast, as Katara sent a wave of water crashing at the Fire Princess, who barely moved out of the way.

Zuko frowned at her. "Maybe I did. You need to give up, Azula. You're outnumbered."

"Fire Nation royalty never give up." She shot back, sending a blast at Katara, who threw up a shield of ice. "I will never surrender to a group of traitors."

Toph sent a rock shield towards Azula, pushing her towards a corner. Frowning, she sent a blast of fire towards Aang and Zuko, but Zuko quickly dissipated it. Toph continued to push Azula towards the wall, while the others closed in, until she was completely surrounded, with nowhere to go.

"Face it Azula, we won." Aang told her triumphantly.

Azula sighed. "Fine you've got me."

But this time, Zuko didn't miss her quick glance, or the lightning that she shot at him. He did miss the gasps of shock from the others. Zuko grunted, remembering everything about redirecting lightning, as he redirected it, shooting it towards the sky, hitting one of the old buildings, which caused it to collapse. When the dust finally cleared, Azula was nowhere to see, and the rest of them stared at him in shock.

"How did you do that?" Aang asked, shocked.

Zuko grinned. "When we start your firebending training, I'll show you. It's a trick my uncle came up with, from watching waterbenders."

"That was some pretty impressive firebending, Sparky." Toph complemented. "But you'll have to explain to me what's going on, because I don't think you're a nonbender named Lee."

Zuko nodded. "We'll find some place to make camp tonight, where you can start to teach Aang earthbending, and I'll tell you everything tomorrow."

"Well, if we want earth, we should head that way." Toph said, pointing towards the mountains. "There's a valley over there that we can practice in."

Aang grinned, hopping onto Appa. "Then let's go."

* * *

"Get up," Azula demanded, smacking both Ty Lee and Mai awake. "And I want you to explain how you got beat by a couple of teenagers."

Ty Lee sprang up, turning to Azula. "It's Zuko. He's working with the Avatar."

"Believe me I know." Azula groaned. "I would have had the Avatar, if it wasn't for my traitor brother. It doesn't matter." She said, turning to face where the Avatar's sky bison was getting smaller and smaller. "I think we can use this information to our advantage."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry to everyone who wanted Toph to learn the truth this chapter, but Azula swooped in and said nope, I'm here now. Don't worry, she's not going to stay in the dark (haha see what I did there) about the situation for too much longer.


	15. Training

_The next day..._

"Okay," Toph said, as soon as everyone was up and had eaten breakfast. "I'm going to need an explanation."

Zuko sighed. "It's kinda a long story. First, my name is Zuko, not Lee, and I'm the former Crown Prince of the Fire Nation. Azula is my sister. And, I time-traveled."

"Normally, I would say you're crazy Sparky. But, I can feel the vibrations in a person's heart, and tell if they're lying. I'm like a living lie detector. And you're telling the truth." Toph said, shrugging.

Zuko smirked. "I know."

That made Toph do a double take. "How did you know that? I haven't even told anyone that yet."

So, Zuko told her. About Sozin's Comet and how he was sent back in time by Roku. How he joined the Gaang at the Fire Temple, and helped them. About the Siege of the North and Yue's death. About their time in the Foggy Swamp and arriving in Gaoling.

"Wait, is that how you knew who I was?" Toph interrupted. "And that I would be Twinkle Toe's earthbending instructor?"

Zuko nodded. "You were before, and you're the best earthbender in the world."

"See, this guy gets it." Toph said, grinning.

Zuko shrugged. "You invented metalbending by being trapped in a tiny box. If that doesn't say that you're the best earthbender, I don't know what does."

"This is a story I gotta hear." She said, leaning foreword.

Zuko smiled. "I'll get to that."

Zuko continued, telling Toph about everything in the future that happened before. How he and Uncle arrived in Ba Sing Se at the same time they did. About the corruption with the Dai Li and Long Feng. About Appa going missing, and Zuko freeing him below Lake Laogai. About Toph's invention of metalbending. About Jet's death, and Azula's takeover of Ba Sing Se, and Zuko's betrayal. About how they journeyed through the Fire Nation, and the failed invasion on the Day of Black Sun. About Zuko's betrayal of Ozai, and joining the Gaang at the Western Air Temple. And finally, about everything that went wrong on the day of Sozin's Comet.

"That was one crazy tale." Toph said, leaning backwards, as soon as Zuko was finished. "Well Sparky, it looks like we have our work cut out for us. So, I'll start training Twinkle Toes, and you can train Snoozles over there."

Sokka jumped up. "Is this when Zuko teaches me swordbending?"

"Swordbending?" Zuko asked, raising an eyebrow.

Sokka nodded enthusiastically. "Of course. It's the only type of bending I can do."

"Just follow me." Zuko said, shaking his head.

Aang bounced over to Toph, before turning around to look at Katara. "What will you do? We're not near any water, so you can't practice your waterbending."

"I'll be fine." Katara said, waving him off. "I can go through some of my katas, while the rest of you train, and I do need to fix everyone's clothing from the fight yesterday. Go learn earthbending, Avatar."

Aang grinned and ran after Toph, while Zuko grabbed the sword that they had bought from the market, which seemed like an eternity ago, and handed it to Sokka, before grabbing his own swords.

"Try to swing at me." He told the other boy. "I want to assess your skills."

Sokka's eyes darted to Zuko's dual daos. "But you have two swords. Isn't that a little unfair?"

"They're two sides of the same sword." Zuko said, pulling them out of the sheath. "You can't fight with one without the other. My uncle would always say that they represent the duality of ourselves. We can't have just a good side or an evil side. We always have both, working together. It's what makes us human, and without both sides, we'd be out of balance."

Sokka nodded. "I guess that makes sense. Your uncle is pretty smart."

"Oh I know." Zuko said, grinning. "Now, spar with me."

Sokka darted foreword, his sword raised, as Zuko raised his to block the strike. Grunting, he swung back, aiming to knock one of Zuko's swords of his hand. But the technique backfired, as Zuko knocked his sword out of his hand and sent it flying into a nearby bush. Sokka rushed foreword, attempting to kick Zuko's legs out from under him, but with one kick, Zuko unbalanced him and Sokka went sprawling on his ass, as Zuko pointed the sword at his neck.

Sokka groaned. "Why are you so good?"

"Because I've been practicing since I was eight and had a master," Zuko said, reaching his hand down to help the other boy up. "You on the other hand, have not."

Sokka walked across their makeshift training grounds, retrieving his sword from where it had gone flying. "Do you remember when we bought this sword?" He asked, brushing the dirt off of it. "And how the merchant said it was cursed?"

"Yeah." Zuko said, cleaning his own swords. "What does that have to do with this?"

Sokka looked up at him. "Does this have something to do with your time-travel shenanigans?"

"I think so." Zuko told him. "It's the same sword that you made at Master Piandao's, from the meteorite. And since the merchant said that the sword has been cursed by Roku, I think he was messing with people, so that only you can get the sword. I wouldn't put it past my grandfather."

Sokka raised an eyebrow. "Don't tell Aang that Roku's your grandfather. He'd have a field day with it."

"Believe me, I'm not." Zuko said, chuckling.

Sokka smirked. "Well, it seems I have blackmail on you. Don't test me jerkbender, or Aang might just find out the extent of your family connection."

"Less talking, more sparing." Zuko told him, pulling his swords out, and pointing them at Sokka, who just grinned.

* * *

"How was your day?" Katara asked, hours later, as Toph, Aang, Sokka, and Zuko all walked back into the camp.

Aang groaned, collapsing onto the ground. "Toph beat me up with rocks."

"And my back is sore." Sokka complained, dropping down onto his bedroll.

Katara rolled her eyes. "Do you want me to give you a healing session?"

"Yes please." Sokka begged, rolling over.

Aang raised his head to look at Zuko. "You should have told me that Toph would be like this."

"I didn't?" Zuko asked, sitting down. "Well, I had fun training Sokka."

Toph grinned. "I think we're going to get along just fine, Sparky."


	16. The City of Walls and Secrets

"How long until we get there?" Toph groaned from her spot on Appa's saddle. "I get flying is convenient and all, but I can't see! I just want to get back onto nice, solid earth."

Sokka looked up from his maps. "We have about two days of flying, and then we'll be at Full Moon Bay. From there, we can take a ferry to Ba Sing Se."

"You need passports for the ferry at Ba Sing Se." Zuko informed them, cracking his eye open from where he was laying up against Appa's saddle, dozing. "Otherwise, the ferry attendant won't let you across."

Sokka looked up in alarm. "How are we supposed to get passports? We can't exactly tell someone that we're traveling with the Avatar and the Prince of the Fire Nation."

"Don't worry about it. Uncle and I got fake passports last time." Zuko reassured them. "We can do that again."

Katara looked up, concerned. "Isn't that a little dangerous?"

"Katara, we're flying around the world on a sky bison, with the Avatar and the Prince of the Fire Nation, on a mission to kill the Fire Lord. I think getting fake passports is perfectly fine." Zuko deadpanned.

Katara sighed. "Okay, but if this turns dangerous, I'm blaming you."

"Lighten up Sugar Queen." Toph said, leaning back against the saddle. "A little fun couldn't hurt."

Sokka set his maps aside, turning to Zuko. "How are we even going to get fake passports?"

"We're going to play Pai Sho." Zuko said, grinning.

Aang turned around, confusion on his face. "What does Pai Sho have to do with anything?"

"Uncle and I already planned this before." Zuko told them. "I'm going to play Pai Sho with one of his White Lotus friends, and they'll give us the fake passports. We're stopping in a town just outside of Full Moon Bay."

Toph waved her hands. "Um hello? Did you plan for me being here?"

"Of course." Zuko said, nodding. "I always planned on getting you before we went to Ba Sing Se. I planned this out without requiring for me to tell all of you about my time-traveling. At the time, I had no idea when I was going to tell you."

Katara raised an eyebrow. "If you planned this without us knowing about your time-traveling, how did you plan on getting us to go find Toph?"

"I hadn't thought about that part." Zuko commented sheepishly.

"Your ability to both plan ahead and not plan at all surprises me." Sokka deadpanned

Zuko scowled. "You expect me to know what I'm doing. Newsflash, I don't."

"If Sparky wants to live his life always on the spur of the moment, let him." Toph said, shrugging. "I'd do that if I had the chance."

Katara rolled her eyes. "That's great, except when we're trying to prevent our own deaths."

"We need a plan for when we get to Ba Sing Se." Sokka said. "I don't know about anyone else, but I'm the plans guy. Zuko said we need to avoid the Dai Li."

Zuko nodded. "We don't have to worry about trying to find Appa this time, so that should free up our time. As far as Ba Sing Se goes, it's going to be in the same condition as last time, so we need to figure out how to tell the Earth King about the war."

"What about your sister?" Katara asked. "You said that she tried to take over Ba Sing Se last time."

Zuko sighed. "Azula's a wild card. I expect her to try and take over the city again, but I have no clue how long she was in the city. She at least won't have my help this time."

"So, we need to figure out a way to take out the Dai Li, or at least stop them before they join Azula." Sokka confirmed. "Stopping them will be a major blow to Azula."

Zuko nodded. "Azula used them last time to help take over Ba Sing Se. She'll be at a disadvantage if she can't use their help."

"Who controls the Dai Li?" Katara asked. "If we can get them on our side, then the Dai Li won't join your sister."

Zuko sighed. "Long Feng. He's the Grand Secretariat of Ba Sing Se. Long Feng's smart, but he craves power. It's why he joined up with Azula the first time."

"Do you think he'll join up with us this time?" Aang asked hopefully.

Zuko shook his head. "Long Feng isn't an idiot. He knows that the kind of power he wants, you won't let him have. He'll side with the Fire Nation, simply because of power. But, if we can convince King Kuei that Long Feng has been lying to him about the war, we'll get him on our side."

"What did we do last time?" Sokka asked. "Maybe we can do it again."

Zuko leaned back against Appa's saddle, wishing for what wasn't the first time that this could be a lot simpler than it actually was. "Well, we showed him the destroyed drill that my sister used to try and break into the city, but we're going to be there sooner than last time, and I have no idea what Azula is going to do."

"If only this could be easy." Sokka lamented. "Why couldn't the spirits actually like us?"

Katara shook her head at her brother. "I thought you didn't believe in all the 'spirit mumbo jumbo'. Besides, our lives are never easy. Why would they be now, even with knowing the future?"

"I guess you have a point." Sokka agreed. "But is it too much just to wish that everything would go right for once?"

Zuko closed his eyes, resting up against the side of the saddle. "Let's just hold off on the plan until we get to Ba Sing Se. I've always just gone with everything, and not planned it out. It worked at the Fire Temple, and the Boiling Rock, and the North Pole."

"I'm not going to even ask." Sokka said, shaking his head. "The Boiling Rock doesn't sound fun."

Zuko winced. "Believe me, it's not."

"As fun as it is to make fun of Sparky for his lack of planning," Toph spoke up. "We should probably camp for the night."

Aang nodded. "Toph's right. Let's look for a clearing."

"Look down there!" Toph yelled, pointing in a random direction.

Sokka and Katara scrambled over to the side of the saddle, peering over, as Aang jerked his head in the general direction, spotting nothing but trees. Zuko simply sat in his spot, rolling his eyes.

"She's blind guys. Toph's just messing with you." He told them.

Toph scowled. "You ruined the joke Sparky. How did you even know I would do that?"

"I'm from the future." Zuko deadpanned. "Don't think you haven't tried that joke before."

Toph sighed. "And here I thought I was being original."

As soon as Sokka and Katara had turned away, Zuko scooted closer to the blind earthbender. "Don't worry," he told her. "Sokka will keep believing you when you mention seeing something, so you didn't loose your joke."

"I knew I liked you Sparky." Toph said, grinning. "You're keeping my one joke alive."

Zuko rolled his eyes. "You do need to get more than one joke though."

"Not if it's so effective." She shot back, punching Zuko in the arm.

Zuko smiled at her. "I'm glad we found you again Toph."

"Why? Because I'm so amazing?" Toph asked, grinning.

Zuko nodded. "Yes, but also you're the only one who understands what it's like to have terrible parents. Aang, Katara, and Sokka try to understand, but they don't get it like you do. Aang never met his parents, and Sokka and Katara's parents are amazing. It's just really nice to have someone who gets it. Also, you are the best earthbender in the world, and that is great too."

"You bet I am. But also, that was one of the nicest things someone has ever said to me." Toph said, smiling softly. "Hey, didn't you say that I learned metalbending?" She asked, perking up.

Zuko nodded. "Yeah, and I think you can learn again. It was really useful."

"I've course I can learn it again, I'm the best earthbender in the world." Toph shot back.

Katara leaned over the side of the saddle, peering down towards the forest. "I think I spot a clearing down there."

"Come on Appa." Aang prompted, steering the bison down towards the opening in the forest, right next to the river, that Katara had spotted.

As the rest of them jumped out of the saddle, and Katara, Sokka, and Aang began to set up the tents, Toph turned to Zuko. "Do you happen to have any spare metal? I want to see if I can get metalbending again."

"Knock yourself out." Zuko told her, reaching into his pack to grab a spare piece of metal he had saved for just this particular reason, tossing it to the blind earthbender, who barely caught it. "I'm going to go gather some wood for our fire."

As Zuko headed off into the woods surrounding their campsite, he looked back behind him, smiling at the sight. Aang and Sokka were in the middle of pitching their tents, both working in tandem, having done this so many times. Katara was sorting through their supplies, pulling out the food for dinner, as Momo busied himself with finding random fruits and nuts. Toph leaned up against Appa, fiddling with the piece of metal in her hands, a look of concentration on her face.

He knew he would do whatever he could to keep them like this, to save them where his past self could not. This time around, he would do it right, even if he went down fighting. Because this sight, of his friends just being themselves, was something Zuko wanted to remember forever, in case he didn't make it out of this.

Gathering the rest of the wood needed for the fire, Zuko headed back to their campsite. Sokka and Aang had already finished setting up the tents, and both boys were certainly training, standing off near Appa, so they weren't in Katara's way. Aang was standing near the river, practicing some of his katas, and bending some water around, while Sokka was over near Appa and Toph, practicing some of the sword moves that Zuko had taught him. Both Katara and Toph were where they had been before, with Toph still fiddling with the metal, and Katara had moved to preparing some of the food.

He set the wood down near Katara, arranging them in a pile, before lighting the fire.

"Your tent is over there." Katara told him, not even looking up. "I put your bags inside."

Before Zuko could thank her, Toph's voice rang out from over near Appa. "I did it! I'm the greatest earthbender in the world! I can bend metal."

The four of them looked up from what they were doing, Aang dropping the water back in the river, to see Toph, a grin on her face, as she shaped the small scrap of metal into various shapes.

"That's great Toph." Aang told her sincerely. "You really just invented a new type of bending."

Toph smirked. "I told you I was the greatest earthbender in the world, Twinkle Toes. And besides, you really should be thanking Sparky. He was the one who told me it was possible, and gave me the metal."

"I was only following what happened last time." Zuko said, shrugging. "If you could bend metal before, there's no reason you can't do it now."

Toph grinned. "This is pretty amazing. I now have an advantage that no one besides us knows about. I'm going to destroy the Fire Nation."

"Are you sure it was a good idea to help Toph learn metalbending? She's going to be terrifying now." Sokka whispered, leaning over to the firebender.

Zuko rolled his eyes. "You act like Toph wasn't terrifying before. Come on, let's spar."

"You probably should put that off until later." Katara called. "Dinner is ready."

Resheathing his swords, Zuko headed back to the fire circle, Sokka, Aang, and Toph following him.

"We should probably plan for what we're going to do in Ba Sing Se." Sokka told them, as soon as everyone had gotten their dinner, and was sitting down again, Toph having earthbended chairs for them to sit on.

Zuko nodded. "We'll have to avoid the Dai Li. They're still in power in Ba Sing Se, and Long Feng is still having them brainwash people. We can't let them get any of us, like they got Jet. If Long Feng is truly working for Azula again, and he gets one of us, he could find out about my time-traveling, and then Azula would know, which is a really bad idea."

"Well, we have my metalbending." Toph pointed out. "If we keep that a secret, if we did get captured, I could break us out."

"This is all well and good, but we still need a plan for how to talk to the Earth King." Sokka pointed out. "We either need some way to take out Long Feng, or some evidence of the war."

Zuko sighed. "I hate to admit it, but we need to take out Long Feng, in case that Azula doesn't show up with her giant drill."

"Woo! Assassination, let's go!" Toph cheered.

Zuko shook his head. "I should probably be the one to take out Long Feng."

"No, it's too dangerous." Katara said, shaking her head. "You said it yourself, if Long Feng gets his hands on you, your time-traveling could be revealed."

Zuko sighed. "I appreciate your concern, Katara. But I came back here to save all of you. I'm not going to fail now."

"We'll keep it as a last resort." Aang spoke up. "No one is getting captured. If we can find something else to show the king, then we won't have to take out Long Feng."

Zuko's eyes widened. "Lake Laogai! I can't believe I forgot about that."

"What's that?" Sokka asked confused.

Zuko grinned. "It's the lake outside the city. The Dai Li's secret brainwashing base is under it. Long Feng doesn't know that we know about it. A couple of us can stay there, to make sure the Dai Li don't blow it up to hide the evidence, and the others can get the king. A secret brainwashing facility under the lake is pretty damning. And, even if it doesn't convince the king that there's a war, it'll at least convince him that Long Feng and the Dai Li are corrupt."

"That just might work." Katara pointed out.

Sokka nodded, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms behind his head. "Look at us. Making plans to take down corrupt governments, and assassinate corrupt officials."

"No one can doubt that I've committed treason now." Zuko pointed out, chuckling.

Katara rolled her eyes. "I think that was pretty obvious when you freed Earth Kingdom villages and took down the Fire Sages."

"True." Zuko said, nodding.

* * *

_Two days later..._

"The town's down there." Zuko pointed below, turning to Aang, who nodded and flew Appa down, landing in a clearing.

As they all hopped off, Sokka turned to Zuko. "What should we do now?"

"You all can go and get some supplies." Zuko told them. "It's better for me to go alone to find Uncle's Pai Sho friend. He'll be more likely to help if I'm alone,"

Katara nodded. "Just stay safe."

Katara, Sokka, and Zuko headed into the town, Aang and Toph staying back at the campsite with Appa and Momo to watch their supplies. As soon as they reached the town, the group split off, Katara and Sokka going to get more supplies, while Zuko went into the local tavern. Spotting a short, balding man with a long, grey beard and dressed in the traditional Earth Kingdom greens, sitting next to the Pai Sho table, Zuko walked over to him, bowing.

"May I have this game?" He asked.

The man gestured towards the table. "The guest has the first move." As Zuko placed down the White Lotus tile, the man looked up at him. "I see you favor the White Lotus gambit. Not many still cling to the ancient ways." He told Zuko, bowing, eyebrows raised at how young the other man was.

"Those who do can always find a friend." Zuko told him, holding his hands out.

The man nodded. "Then let us play."

One by one, they placed each of the tiles down, until they formed the shape of a White Lotus.

"Welcome brother." The man said, spreading his hands out. "The White Lotus opens wide to those who know her secrets." Reaching into his bag, he pulled out some passports, discreetly handing them to Zuko.

Zuko nodded. "Thank you for the game, brother. It was a pleasant time."

"The pleasure is all mine. An old friend of mine wanted me to tell you that if you're looking for him, he's where secrets are hidden among the walls, and the jasmine blooms. But, beware the colors of the ocean and the angels of the devil, for they're as sharp as pointy knives and just as deadly. For just like the ocean where they get their color, they can drown you, unless you know how to swim the waters and soar amongst the clouds."

Zuko smiled. "Thank you very much."

Leaving the tavern, Zuko tucked the five passports into his bag, heading back towards their campsite, where they had arranged to meet. But the entire time, he couldn't stop thinking about the old man's proverb. He had become extremely familiar with proverbs, having traveled with Uncle for three years, but that one was confusing.

"There you are." Katara said, as Zuko walked into the clearing. "What took you so long? Did you get them?"

Zuko nodded. "Yeah, they're in my bag. But the old man who gave me them, gave me a proverb as well, and I don't know what it means."

"Oh, I love proverbs." Aang said, perking up. "Gyatso used to tell me them all the time. What did he say?"

"An old friend of mine wanted me to tell you that if you're looking for him, he's where secrets are hidden among the walls, and the jasmine blooms. But, beware the colors of the ocean and the angels of the devil, for they're as sharp as pointy knives and just as deadly. For just like the ocean where they get their color, they can drown you, unless you know how to swim the waters and soar amongst the clouds." Zuko recited.

Sokka frowned. "What does that mean?"

"I don't know." Zuko said, shrugging. "That's why I was thinking about it."

Katara threw the last of their supplies onto Appa and turned to the rest of them. "We can figure it out later. Now come on, we want to get to Ba Sing Se by tonight."

Shrugging, the rest of them jumped on, and with a call of "yip yip" by Aang, Appa took off towards Full Moon Bay.

* * *

"I can't believe that worked." Sokka said, as the attendant stamped their five forged passports, without so much as a second glance, and a call of "next!"

Zuko nodded. "They act like they care, but they really don't. No one here is going to question us, and the attendants only act like they care if there's an obvious problem. And besides, we look like we're refugees." He said, gesturing to their dirty and torn clothes from traveling for the past three months.

"We should probably get on the ferry." Katara said, gesturing to one of the nearby boats. "It's going to leave soon."

The five teenagers joined the rest of the passengers filing onto the ferry, Momo stowed in Aang's shirt. As soon as they were on the boat, Aang led Appa down to the storage compartment, throwing a tarp over him, before rejoining the others on the deck.

Zuko sat on one of the wooden crates, staring out at the water, his mind occupied with the last time he was here on this boat, with Uncle.

"What are you thinking about?" Sokka asked, coming to sit next to him.

Zuko sighed. "Just the last time I was on one of these boats. Uncle and I were going to Ba Sing Se to start a new life. We didn't even know you were in the city, until much later. I actually met Jet on the boat. We stole food from the captain to feed the people on the ship.

"Well, well, well," a voice sounded behind them, almost as if he was summoned, and making Zuko and Sokka jump. "Who would have thought we would see you here."

Zuko and Sokka turned around, to see Jet standing there with his arms crossed, Smellerbee and Longshot flanking him. "What do you want Jet?" Sokka asked, groaning.

"I would like to know why the half Fire Nation bastard is here, with you." Jet growled.

Zuko sighed. "We're going to Ba Sing Se, with Katara, Aang, and Toph, just like you." He said, gesturing to the three of them, who hadn't noticed the commotion.

"I know what you're really doing, ashmaker." Jet glared. "You're here to conquer Ba Sing Se for the Fire Nation."

Zuko shook his head. "I know you won't believe me, which is why I'm not going to even say anything. But, you should be careful in Ba Sing Se. It's called the City of Secrets for a reason."

"What's going on?" Katara asked, walking over, Aang and Toph flanking her, her eyes narrowing at the sight of Jet. "Jet. What are you doing here?"

Sokka stepped in between the two of them. "Come on guys, let's not fight. We're all just trying to get to the same place."

"Fine. But don't expect me to stand that ashmaker." Jet said, glaring. "Come on Smellerbee, Longshot, let's go."

As Jet and his two remaining Freedom Fighters left, Zuko sighed, sitting back down on his wooden crate. "I'm glad they're gone. I don't think I could stand here much longer, before trying to punch Jet in his smug little face."

"You and me both Zuko." Katara agreed, sitting back down.

* * *

Several hours later, they had all arrived in Ba Sing Se, and had been escorted to their housing, quickly ditching Joo Dee as soon as they could.

"Let's deal with what we're going to do tomorrow." Sokka decided, yawning. "I'm tired."

Zuko nodded. "You and me both Sokka."

"Let's just go to bed." Aang agreed, as they all collapsed into bed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Toph and Zuko are siblings, and no one can convince me otherwise. They're my favorite dynamic, besides Zuko and Iroh. Sorry this chapter took so long, I have had finals, but it's almost Christmas break, so I should be updating sooner now.
> 
> I was the dumb person who didn't realize until halfway through writing this chapter that they didn't need to go to Full Moon Bay if they have Appa, so we're just going to go with it, since I didn't feel like rewriting it.
> 
> Also kudos to anyone who can guess what the old man means. The first part may be a little obvious, the last part not as much.
> 
> If I accidentally write Zhu Li instead of Joo Dee during the Ba Sing Se chapters, sorry about that, but I'm currently in the middle of binging LOK, and their names are extremely similar and I may not catch it.


	17. The Jasmine Dragon

_The next morning..._

The group of them sat around the table, having just finished their breakfast.

"What's our plan for today?" Katara asked, setting down her cup.

Aang shrugged. "I could take a day just to look around the city. We've been traveling for months. We deserve an opportunity just to relax."

"I'm going to go look around the city." Zuko told them. "Maybe I can find out someway for us to get an audience with the Earth King, sooner then two months. There might be some sort of party that someone will know about."

Sokka nodded. "I'll go with you. It'll be fun."

"What are you two going to do?" Aang asked Katara and Toph.

Katara smiled. "Toph and I are going to take a girl's day. There's a great spa that I heard about."

"Then I think we have our plans." Zuko said, nodding. "We'll meet back here tonight."

Grabbing their swords and bags, Sokka and Zuko left the house, heading towards the shops of the upper ring.

"If anyone would know about a party, it would be the people of the Upper Ring." Zuko told the other boy.

Sokka nodded, looking around. "You should probably talk to them. I already feel out of place just walking through the Upper Ring."

"That's probably a good idea." Zuko agreed. "If there was one thing a prince of the Fire Nation needed to know, it was how to talk to stuffy nobles."

The two of them entered one of the nearby shops, its sign proclaiming it to be " _Ming's Quality Fabric_ ". The store clerk, a young woman with long, black hair and dressed in green, silk robes, looked up when they entered.

"Can I help you?" She asked sweetly.

Zuko nodded. "I think so. Do you know if there is going to be an event at the palace? My servant and I just got in yesterday, and I want to know about everything happening in the city."

"There's going to be a party in two days, to celebrate the King's pet bear, Bosco's, birthday." She informed them. "But, you need an invitation to get into the party."

Zuko waved her off. "That will not be an issue. Thank you very much."

As they exited the store, Sokka turned to Zuko, rolling his eyes. "Your servant? Really?"

"It was all I could think of." Zuko defended. "And no offense Sokka, but you don't exactly look like a noble."

Sokka sighed. "Fine. At least we got the information. Do you think we can get into that party?"

"I would be surprised if Aang didn't get an invitation." Zuko pointed out. "The only issue is getting the rest of us in. Toph and I could definitely pass for nobles, and Katara might be able to as well. We'll just need to figure out how to get you in."

Sokka huffed. "I can act like a noble."

"No offense Sokka, but acting like a noble isn't something you can pick up in a day." Zuko told him. "We'll figure out someway to get you into that party. Now come on, let's get back to the house."

—

"Rano," Iroh said, catching the attention of the other man, who was in the middle of brewing a pot of tea. "We're out of jasmine and sage. Do you think you can run to the market?"

Derai nodded, concern on his face. "Are you okay while I'm gone?"

"I'll be fine." Iroh assured him. "I can hold down this place."

Slipping his apron off, Derai draped it over one of the chairs, before grabbing the bag of money, and pushing through the crowd that had gathered to get into _The Jasmine Dragon_. He hurried through the streets of the Upper Ring, towards the market.

Ever since the two of them had opened their shop in the Upper Ring, about a month before, their luck had been turning up. They had soon become the best tea makers in the city, and the king's personal tea makers. For the first time since he had left to join the Wani, three years ago, Derai was truly happy.

As he paid one of the clerks at his and Iroh's favorite herb stall, his ears perked up, overhearing a conversation between two of the noble women.

" _Did you hear that the Avatar is in Ba Sing Se?_ "

" _Really? I had not heard._ "

" _Yes. He is apparently staying in one of the other mansions in the Upper Ring, with his companions_."

" _Oh my. Do you think we will meet him? I wonder what he is like_."

" _He will most certainly be at the King's celebration in two days. We can meet him then._ "

Eyes widening, Derai hurried back towards _The Jasmine Dragon_. If the Avatar was in Ba Sing Se, that meant Zuko was too, and Iroh deserved to know his nephew was in the city.

Derai hurried into _The Jasmine Dragon_ , spotting Iroh near the back. "Uncle Mushi!" He called, coming to a stop next to the old man. "Can I talk to you?"

"Why of course Rano." Iroh agreed, before the two headed into the kitchen. "What's going on Derai?" He asked, the second the doors were closed.

"When I was in the market, I heard some interesting news." Derai explained. "The Avatar and his friends are in Ba Sing Se. And, they're living in a house in the Upper Ring."

Iroh's eyes widened. "That means my nephew's in Ba Sing Se. Thank you for telling me Derai."

Both men had hardly stepped out of the kitchen, when they heard another voice. "Uncle Mushi."

Looking up, Iroh met the eyes of one of the Dai Li agents. "What can I do for you today, sir?" He asked.

"As I'm sure you've heard, the Avatar is in Ba Sing Se." The Dai Li agent explained. "The Earth King wants the best tea maker in the city to serve tea to the Avatar and his friends, tomorrow."

Iroh bowed to him. "I would be honored."

As soon as the Dai Li agents left the tea shop, Iroh turned to Derai, a smile on his face. "Well nephew, I think our luck just got even better."

* * *

"So, what did everyone find out?" Aang asked, hours later, when the entire group had reconvened at the house.

Toph shrugged. "We found nothing. Except for the fact that noble girls in this city are bitches."

"Some girls were making fun of Toph's makeup, so Toph sent them through the bridge, and I waterbended them down the river." Katara elaborated.

Sokka smiled at her. "While we didn't do anything as fun as _that_ , Zuko and I found a way to get in to see the King."

"The King is hosting a birthday party for his pet bear in two days." Zuko explained. "As Avatar, Aang will certainly be invited, and the rest of us can sneak in."

Katara looked up, confused. "You mean platypus bear?"

"No, just bear." Zuko said shrugging.

Aang frowned. "Certainly you mean his pet skunk bear"

"Or his armadillo bear." Toph suggested.

"Gopher bear?" Katara tried.

Sokka shook his head. "Just... bear"

"This place is weird." Toph said, shuddering.

"Weirdness of Ba Sing Se aside," Zuko said, sitting down. "This gives us the perfect opportunity to see the King."

Katara nodded. "The rest of us can sneak in with the crowd, while Aang goes as the Avatar."

"There's one issue you're all forgetting." Toph told them. "You would all be spotted immediately. You don't have any manners or experience with high society. Zuko and I could get in fine, and Katara could pull it off, but not Sokka."

Sokka pouted. "Yeah, yeah I get it. No need to rub it in or anything."

A knock at the door interrupted their conversation, and Aang walked over to the door, to reveal a Dai Li agent standing there.

"Can I help you?" Aang asked, confused.

The Dai Li agent handed him a note. "This is a message from the King." He told Aang, before walking away.

"What is it, Aang?" Katara asked, as the younger boy, as he walked back.

Aang held up the note. "It's a message from the King."

Unfolding the piece of paper, Aang read it out loud.

_Dear Avatar and his friends,_   
_As a thank you for coming to our great city, I would like to offer my best tea maker to serve you tea tomorrow. He is my personal tea server, and makes the best tea in the world. He and his nephew will be coming to your house at midday. I hope you enjoy this wonderful present._   
_Sincerely,_   
_King Kuei_

"Well," Sokka said, shrugging. "It could be worse."

* * *

_The next day..._

"Ugh, I don't want to be served tea." Toph groaned, from her spot lying on the floor of the house. "It tastes disgusting."

Zuko looked up from the table. "I agree with you Toph."

"It reminds you of your uncle, doesn't it." Katara commented, sympathetically.

Zuko nodded. "I haven't had real tea since I left Uncle at the Fire Temple."

"It says here, we're being served by the best tea maker in the city." Aang said, reading off the note that the Dai Li agent had given them. "He owns a shop called _The Jasmine Dragon._ "

Zuko's eyes widened. _The Jasmine Dragon_. But it couldn't be him, could it? Certainly Uncle wouldn't remember that one detail from his explanation of events, months ago on the _Wani_.

Sokka scoffed. "As if any tea could be better then Zuko's breakfast tea."

A knock on the door interrupted their conversation. "That must be him." Zuko said, getting up. "I'll go get the door."

Zuko walked over to the door, pulling it open and going to greet their visitor. But all words died on the tip of his tongue, when he saw who was standing there. "Uncle?" Zuko gasped in shock.

"Um, can you please let us in?" Derai asked, from his spot next to Iroh. "I really don't want to be standing on this doorstep much longer."

Zuko opened the door wider, letting them in, and still staring in shock at the two of them, as Derai set down what he was holding on the table. "How are you here?"

"Zuko, what's your uncle doing here?" Katara asked, coming up behind him. "And who is he?"

"After you left us at the Fire Temple, we sailed on until we reached the Earth Kingdom. Most of the crew left once we got there, with new names thanks to Iroh's White Lotus contacts. We went separate ways at first, but after Iroh left the North Pole, we met up again and the two of us decided to continue traveling together, eventually settling in Ba Sing Se." Derai explained, answering Zuko's previous question.

Iroh pulled Zuko into a tight hug, who relaxed into the comfort. "I'm so glad you're okay nephew." He whispered.

"I missed you Uncle." Zuko whispered, hugging him back.

Derai and Iroh took their seats around the table with the rest of them, Iroh pouring some tea for everyone. "So what are you doing in Ba Sing Se?" He finally asked.

"We're trying to get an audience with the Earth King." Sokka informed him. "We have information to defeat the Fire Nation, but the Dai Li aren't making thing easy."

Derai frowned. "We've been in Ba Sing Se for a while now, and you learn some things about this place. You need to stay clear of the Dai Li, they're dangerous."

"We're aware." Zuko told him. "But we need to talk to the Earth King. Luckily, we have an idea. We're going to sneak into his party tomorrow. But, there's something I wanted to ask you about uncle. I talked to your Pai Sho friend, to get the passports for the ferry into Ba Sing Se, and he gave me a proverb, but I have no idea what it means."

Iroh smiled. "I've always loved proverbs. What does it say?"

"An old friend of mine wanted me to tell you that if you're looking for him, he's where secrets are hidden among the walls, and the jasmine blooms. But, beware the colors of the ocean and the angels of the devil, for they're as sharp as pointy knives and just as deadly. For just like the ocean where they get their color, they can drown you, unless you know how to swim the waters and soar amongst the clouds." Zuko recited.

Iroh frowned. "Well, the first part must be referring to me and The Jasmine Dragon. As far as the second part, I'm not sure. Have you run into your sister at all?"

"Yes," Zuko said, nodding. "She, Mai, and Ty Lee fought us in an abandoned town."

Iroh sighed. "I think the old man was trying to warn you about your sister and her friends. But as for the third part, I have no idea."

"Why did he tell me that then?" Zuko said, rolling his eyes. "I already know they're dangerous. Why did I need a warning?"

Iroh smiled gently. "Some people enjoy giving advice, even when the person they're giving it to, doesn't think they need it."

"I hate to break this up," Derai said. "But we have to get going, so we're back for the lunch shift at The Jasmine Dragon."

Zuko pulled his uncle into one more hug, as the two of them stood up. "I promise I'll come see you."

"I love you nephew," Iroh said, hugging him back. "I'm so proud of you."

As the door shut behind Iroh and Derai, Toph turned to the rest of them. "Okay, time to get all of you trained on high society manners."


	18. I Thought the Kyoshi Warriors Were Taller

_The next day..._

"So, do you remember the plan?" Zuko asked Sokka, as they crouched outside of the palace, hiding behind a large, stone statue of a lion.

Sokka nodded. "You will all sneak in after Aang, and once you're in, you'll let me in."

"We'll see you later." Katara told him, before she, Toph, Aang, and Zuko all ducked out from behind the pillar, their copies of the invitation that Aang had received in their hands, which they had gotten from a not completely legal copier in the Lower Ring.

All four of them were dressed like the rest of the nobles waiting to get into the party. Toph and Katara were both wearing light green chaofus, with dark green fans boarded with gold, green earrings, and elaborate gold headpieces adorned with flowers. Both girls' hair was pulled back into a qitou and they wore red blush and blue eyeshadow. Zuko wore a green shenyi, with a dark green guanmao, and his hair pulled back into a queue. Aang wore a yellow kasaya, with orange underneath, and a wooden necklace with the symbol for air on it, along with orange boots.

"Invitations." The guard requested, as the four of them approached the front of the line.

Zuko, Katara, and Toph all held out their copied invitations, which the guard nodded to and let them in without a second glance. But when he saw Aang, his eyes widened.

"I'm sorry Avatar," he said, bowing. "You shouldn't need an invitation to get into this event."

Aang smiled gently. "It's quite alright."

"Please, go in." The guard said, stepping aside, and Aang hurried up to the other three.

The four of them followed the rest of the crowd of nobles, Katara and Aang looping arms, while Toph and Zuko did the same. As soon as they made their way into the ballroom, Zuko turned to the three of them.

"I'm going to go let Sokka in. The three of you walk around and see if you can find out how we can talk to the King."

Katara, Toph, and Aang all nodded and split up, with Aang immediately getting accosted by the various Earth Kingdom nobles, who were eager to get in a good word with the Avatar. Making his way over to the door, Zuko ducked around the different crowds of nobles, all of whom payed him no heed, and arrived at the small door out to the courtyard that was hidden by several stone columns, where Sokka was waiting.

"Took you long enough." Sokka muttered, as Zuko opened the door for the other boy.

Like the rest of them, Sokka was dressed up to blend in with the other nobles. He was a dark blue chaofu, with a blue guanmao, and his hair pulled back into a queue. He had pinned a silver broach over his heart, and wore silver rings on his fingers.

"Sorry," Zuko apologized. "The line to get in was rather long. Let's go find Toph and Katara, and see what they've found out. Aang's busy distracting the guests."

The two boys headed back through the ballroom, ducking around the crowds of nobles, as Zuko put all of his training into how to act at these kinds of events into use, and Sokka tried his best to follow what his friend was doing. Luckily, no one questioned them, all either too caught up in their own conversations, or watching Aang perform a larger version of his airbending marble trick, to notice two boys not acting completely normal.

"Took you long enough." Toph commented, as Sokka and Zuko rejoined Katara and Toph on the other side of the ballroom.

Rolling his eyes, Zuko turned to her. "Have you two found anything out?"

"That's Long Feng." Katara said, gesturing to a nearby man who was doing his best to drag Aang away, but failing miserably.

His hair was black, and pulled back into a queue, with piercing green eyes. He wore a dark green chaofu, with gold trimming around the edges. He was focused on Aang, trying to get the boy to stop his airbending, leaving Toph, Sokka, Zuko, and Katara to look around for the king.

"We need to be careful." Zuko muttered to his friends. "Long Feng looks distracted, but there's bound to be Dai Li watching us."

Toph moved her foot slowly, unnoticed by anyone but them. "There's several Dai Li on the columns, behind the curtains, that we can't see, along with the ones stationed along the wall." She whispered.

"They really don't want us talking to the king." Katara sighed, looking around.

Zuko nodded. "Believe me, they don't."

"How are we going to talk to him?" Sokka asked, worried.

Zuko shook his head. "We can't. Not tonight. We need some way to get to the king, without all these Dai Li. I'll talk to my uncle, maybe he'll have an idea."

"We need to figure it out quick." Katara told them. "I don't want to just sit around here, while Azula could infiltrate the city."

Zuko nodded. "Let's get out of here."

Turning slightly, he nodded discretely to Aang, who stopped his airbending, yelling a quick explanation to Long Feng, before hurrying over to the four of them.

"Did you talk to the king?" He asked.

Zuko shook his head. "There's too many Dai Li to try tonight. We're going to leave, and come back at a better time. I'm going to talk to my uncle, maybe he'll have some ideas."

"Let's go." Toph muttered. "I've had enough of this party."

But as they left the bathroom, Zuko was unable to shake the concerning feeling that he was being watched.

* * *

_The next morning..._

Dressed in his normal Earth Kingdom clothes once again, Zuko left the house, heading towards _The Jasmine Dragon_. As he ducked through the streets of the Upper Ring, he couldn't help but think back to the last time he was here, before.

Before, he hadn't cared to appreciate his life in the city. Despite all it's dangers, and walls, and secrets, Ba Sing Se was a beautiful city, especially the wealthy Upper Ring. Without noticing, Zuko found himself walking the familiar route to _The Jasmine Dragon_.

Catching himself, he did everything in his power to avoid waving at people he knew before, knowing that the people who knew the tea maker's scared nephew Lee were long gone, lost in an abandoned timeline, and probably dead.

Opening the door to _The Jasmine Dragon_ , which was virtually empty, since it was before opening, Zuko caught Derai's eye, who was sweeping the front room.

"Hey Rano." He greeted, remembering the other man's fake name. "Where's your uncle?"

Derai gestured to the kitchen door behind him. "He's in the kitchen, preparing tea. Just go through the door and you'll find him."

Nodding, Zuko made his way to the back of the room, taking care not to look too at home, should Derai question him, and ducked into the kitchen.

"Nephew!" His uncle called excitedly. "What are you doing here?"

Zuko smiled, pulling the older man into a tight hug. "I need your advice, Tncle."

"What's going on?" Iroh asked, pulling back.

Pulling one of the stools that littered the kitchen closer to him, Zuko sat down, facing his uncle. "Aang, Toph, Sokka, Katara, and I are trying to warn the Earth King about the war. But we can't do anything with Long Feng and the Dai Li breathing down our necks. And without Azula's drill sitting outside the city, we have no way to convince the king that there is a war, even if we can talk to him. I have no idea what to do, Uncle."

"You know nephew, even the smallest acorn finds a way to grow into a large oak tree." Iroh said, nodding.

Zuko groaned. "I don't have the time for your proverbs, uncle."

"You have a tremendous advantage, nephew." Iroh told him, smiling. "Use it."

Zuko's eyes widened. "Lake Laogai. Long Feng doesn't know that we know about it. If we can show the king the Dai Li's secret headquarters, he'll believe us about the war. Thank you Uncle." He said, pulling him into a hug.

"It was my pleasure. Don't forget to bring your friends in here sometime. I'd love to see them more. And Zuko, don't forget about your sister." Iroh warned him. "Just because she hasn't made such an obvious effort to take down Ba Sing Se, it doesn't mean she has stopped trying."

Zuko nodded. "I know. And I promise I'll come back to see you, but I have to tell the others about this."

Zuko left the kitchen, Iroh behind him, waving a quick goodbye to Derai, before hurrying out the door.

"Your nephew seems a lot different now." Derai commented, leaning up against the broom. "He's really changed, from even when he first spotted the Avatar."

Iroh smiled. "Oh Derai, you have no idea."

* * *

"Do we really have to wear these?" Mai groaned, tugging on the fabric of her Kyoshi Warrior outfit, as she, Ty Lee, and Azula headed towards the Earth King's palace. "They're itchy."

Ty Lee grinned, bouncing up and down. "Lighten up Mai. It's fun."

"Both of you be quiet." Azula hissed. "I don't want this going wrong, because someone overheard the two of you babbling."

Rolling her eyes, Mai shut her mouth. After being friends with Azula for so many years, she knew when to keep mouth shut. Next to her, Ty Lee quieted down too, frowning at Azula's back.

"What are you thinking about?" Mai whispered to her friend, leaning over.

Ty Lee sighed, looking sadder than Mai had seen her in a long time. "When did Azula change Mai? She never used to be cruel. And are we sure what we're doing is right?"

"Azula has a complicated life. And of course what we're doing is right. We're doing it for the Fire Nation, for our people." Mai insisted, but not for the first time recently, she didn't feel so sure about what she was saying.

Ty Lee frowned. "I know. But I can't stop thinking about what Zuko said, back at that abandoned town. He was our friend Mai, and I know he was more then that to you."

"We'll figure it out." Mai promised the other girl, sneaking a quick glance towards Azula. "But not now. We might be able to go talk to Zuko later, once we make sure Azula doesn't follow us."

Following one of the guards, the three girls approached the outside of the palace. The king's guards were lined up in a row, along the pathway, with four Dai Li agents surrounding the platform that the Earth King was standing on.

"It is with the highest honor that I welcome our esteemed allies, the Kyoshi Warriors!" The Earth King announced, as the three of them bent down, bowing.

Looking up, Azula grinned. "We are the Earth King's humble servants."

"One of my guards will show you to your quarters." King Kuei said, gesturing to one of the guards in the line surrounding them, who stepped out. "I am requesting your presence in the throne room tomorrow morning. My most trusted advisor, Long Feng, has informed me that there are a group in the city who are trying to disturb the peace we enjoy in Ba Sing Se. I would like your help to search out these traitors."

Azula nodded, keeping the smirk off her face. "We would be honored."

As the three fake Kyoshi Warriors followed the guard back the way they came, Mai turned to Ty Lee, concern on her face. "You know what this means, right?"

"If we're going to warn Zuko, we need to do it soon." Ty Lee said, nodding.

Mai shook her head. "You know, I'd never thought I'd be the one to commit treason."

"But for Zuko, you'll do anything." Ty Lee said, turning to her best friend, understanding in her grey eyes. "You love him, don't you? You always have."

Mai nodded. "In the end, I'll always love Zuko, no matter how long we've been apart. And I love him more than I'm afraid of Azula."

"I'm with you Mai." Ty Lee told her, smiling. "I've been thinking about what Zuko said, ever since we saw him again. I love the Fire Nation, it's my home, but the more I see of the world, the more I realize what's going on is wrong. I just want to help everyone, and if stopping the war is the best way, I'll do it."

Mai nodded. "Tomorrow, after we meet with the Earth King, we'll go talk to them. Azula is going to be gone, to talk to whoever her contact in the city is, so she won't notice us. And, by the time she realizes we've betrayed her, it will be too late."

"Tomorrow." Ty Lee agreed.

* * *

"So, what did your uncle say?" Katara asked, as soon as Zuko walked through the door.

Locking it behind him, he turned to the four of them. "We still have an advantage over Long Feng. He doesn't know that we know the whole extent of his plans. If we can show the Earth King Lake Laogai, he'll have no choice but to believe us."

"This is great." Aang said, grinning. "We're finally getting somewhere."

Zuko sighed. "My uncle also warned me to keep an eye out for my sister. And he's right. Something just doesn't seem okay. I know Azula. She's not just going to give up because I've joined you. If anything, it would make her more determined."

"We'll figure it out." Katara promised him. "Whatever Azula throws at us, we can take it."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long. Despite being on vacation, I had neither the time nor the motivation to write for a while. The next chapters should be out sooner, since I am pretty excited with where this is going.
> 
> I did a lot of research for this chapter into what cultures the fashion in the Avatar universe are based off of, so all my descriptions of their clothing are actually what they are called. I didn't make any of this up. It was actually really interesting researching this, and seeing where all the inspiration for the Avatar world came from.
> 
> You can look them up if you want, but Toph and Katara's outfits are what they wore in City of Walls and Secrets, Zuko's outfit is just a green fancier version of the outfit he wears after he joins the Gaang in The Western Air Temple, Aang's outfit is exactly what he wears at Zuko's coronation in Sozin's Comet, and Sokka's outfit is a blue male version of the outfit Toph and Katara are wearing.
> 
> This is still going to be a gen fic, but in order to have Mai and Ty Lee's redemption, I did have to include a little bit of Maiko, just because Zuko has always been Mai's reason for turning against Azula, but it's not going to be the focus of this fic at all.
> 
> Am I busy setting up a Mai and Ty Lee redemption? Yes, yes I am. What about it? Time to strap in kids, we're in for a wild ride. Shit's going to go down after this chapter.
> 
> Woah, and that concludes my really long author's notes. Kudos to anyone who read this far.


	19. Fixing the Mistakes of the Past

_The next day..._

"I'm grateful you've chosen to join us." King Kuei greeted them, as Mai, Ty Lee, and Azula entered the throne room. "Please sit."

Azula nodded, taking a seat on one of the three cushions in front of the king's throne. "And what was it you wanted to talk to us about, your majesty?" She asked.

"Long Feng, will you please explain to our guests what the situation is here?" The king asked, gesturing to his Grand Secretariat.

Long Feng nodded, stepping foreword. "My Dai Li have been spying on the house of a group claiming to be the Avatar for some time now. Last night, we overheard them taking about their plans to inform the king about a secret war going on beyond the walls, which is just ludicrous."

"Of course it is." Azula agreed, smiling. "The world is at peace. Anyone who suggests otherwise must be a traitor."

Long Feng nodded, his face masking all emotion. "That is exactly what I thought. My request is that you go to this house, and eliminate the problem." He passed a rolled up scroll to Azula. "Here is the address. My Dai Li can help you. Can I count on you?"

"Anything for the Earth Kingdom." Azula said, standing up, Mai and Ty Lee following. "I promise your majesty, that by the end of the day, this problem will be taken care of."

King Kuei smiled. "I knew I could count on you. Guards, please escort them back to their quarters."

"That was just too easy." Azula smirked, as the three of them headed towards their house. "My brother won't know what hit him."

Behind her, Mai and Ty Lee exchanged a look, one thought on both of their minds.

" _We have to warn Zuko_."

* * *

"I will be gone for the rest of the day." Azula said, as soon as they had arrived back at the house they were staying in, and the king's guard had left. "I need to go talk to my contact in the city. I trust you two can make yourself busy."

Ty Lee grinned, bouncing up and down on the couch. "Of course Azula. Mai and I are going to the market."

"I want more knives." Mai said, by way of explanation. "And Ty Lee wants to look at clothes."

Azula nodded, her look cold and calculating. "Have fun."

She exited through the door, closing it behind her. As soon as Azula was out of sight, Mai and Ty Lee jumped up out of their seats.

"I can't believe she bought it." Ty Lee commented.

Mai nodded. "Let's go, before she comes back."

The two girls left the house, closing the door behind them, heading towards the house that the Avatar and his friends were staying at. Around the corner, unbeknownst to the two of them, two cold, golden eyes followed their movement.

* * *

"There it is." Ty Lee said, pointing at a house in front of them. Through the windows, Zuko and the rest of the Avatar's companions were visible, not having noticed them yet.

Mai sighed. "Do you think they'll trust us?"

"Zuko will." Ty Lee assured us. "He's our friend."

The two girls approached the door, knocking on it. From inside the house, they could hear the others scrambling around, before the door was yanked open and Zuko stared at them in shock.

"Mai? Ty Lee? What are you two doing here?" He asked, shocked.

Mai eyes darted around the square, before she turned to her not really, an ex-boyfriend. "Can you let us in? This isn't a conversation we should be having on the front steps."

"Oh, of course." He said, opening the door wider for them.

Inside the house, the Avatar's companions, along with the Avatar himself, stared at them in confusion and uncertainty, while the blind girl simply stared bored in their general direction.

"What are they doing here?" The waterbender asked. "They're going to tell Azula where we are."

Mai sighed. "Azula already knows you're here. Long Feng had the Dai Li spy on you. He told the king that you're imposters pretending to be the Avatar and knows about your plan to tell the king about Lake Laogai."

"Shit." Zuko swore. "How else are we supposed to get the Earth King on our side?"

Ty Lee smiled hesitantly at him. "We could help. We don't want to work for Azula anymore."

"Why should we believe you?" The Water Tribe boy asked. "You hunted us with Azula. You're Fire Nation."

Mai crossed her arms. "So is Zuko and you trust him. Besides, we risked our lives coming here to tell you this. Azula will kill us if she finds out we helped you."

"They're telling the truth." The blind girl spoke up. "I think we can trust them."

Zuko nodded. "Toph's right. I've known Mai and Ty Lee almost my entire life. They're being honest."

"Welcome to the team." The Avatar said, grinning. "I'm Aang, and that's Katara, Sokka, Toph, and Momo. And you already know Zuko."

Ty Lee grinned. "I'm so happy you let us help."

"I'm going to go get Iroh and Derai." Zuko told them. "If Azula is going after us, she's going to go after them too."

Katara nodded. "We'll stay here and make plans."

Grabbing his bag, Zuko ducked out of the house, heading towards _The Jasmine Dragon._

* * *

"We've got a mole." Azula announced, stepping into one of the caverns deep below Lake Laogai, where Long Feng sat, surrounded by several Dai Li agents.

Long Feng raised an eyebrow. "Who is it? Should we be worried."

"My two companions, Mai and Ty Lee." Azula told him. "I overheard them deciding to tell the Avatar and my traitorous brother about our plans. Later, I spied on them, to make sure they followed through with it. But, we should be okay. I've told them very little."

Long Feng frowned. "You promised me that we'd be okay. This is not okay."

"You misunderstand." She smirked. "My uncle is also in the city. Zuzu will no doubt leave to go get his darling uncle. We have enough Dai Li agents to be able to capture the Avatar and his companions while those two are away. We'll still take the city."

Long Feng grinned. "Then let's get going. There is no time to waste."

* * *

A knock at the door startled the Gaang, plus Mai and Ty Lee, from their planning.

"That must be Zuko, Iroh, and Derai." Sokka said, walking over. "I'll go get it. Though I don't know why they're knocking. Zuko has a key."

But when he opened the door, it wasn't Zuko, but two Dai Li agents standing there instead.

"Can I help you?" Sokka asked, confused.

The two agents nodded. "You can. You're under arrest for helping the traitorous Avatar impersonator, by order of the Earth King."

"This must be some mistake." Sokka said, backing up. "Aang isn't an impersonator, he's the real thing."

Mai drew knives from her pockets. "This has to be Azula."

"Then I think we should be prepared for a fight." Katara muttered, pulling water from her water skin.

Suddenly, the glass of the house smashed in, as Dai Li agents swarmed the building from all sides. Toph bended a large portion of the floor of the house, sending it flying at the agents, who simply batted it away. Katara sent out a large wave of water, freezing several of the agents in ice momentarily, before they were quickly freed by others, who used their earthbending to smash the ice to pieces.

Ty Lee ran towards several of the agents, incapacitating them quickly, while Mai pinned several to the wall with her knives. Sokka unsheathed his sword, using everything Zuko had taught him to slash at the agents. Aang sent a gust of air flying at several of the Dai Li, knocking them over and into each other.

"There are too many." Toph yelled, battling off ten agents by herself, as large chunks of rocks went flying.

Katara groaned, as more of the agents she froze were freed, and sent a water whip at two attempting to sneak up behind her. Several agents, who had climbed to the ceiling, sent their rock gloves flying, capturing Katara's hands, and rendering her incapable to bend. All around the house, the Dai Li sent their rock gloves flying at the Gaang, until they were all knocked out.

Eyes widening, Sokka saw the last glove flying towards him. Whipping out his boomerang, he slammed it into the ground, just as the last glove incapacitated him. As the Dai Li dragged them out of the house, knocking them out as they went, Sokka smiled as he caught a last glimpse of the weapon.

" _Zuko will know we're taken, I never leave boomerang_." He thought. " _He'll come save us._ " As the Dai Li agent hit him on the back of the head, and everything went black.

* * *

When Aang came to, the sound of Toph yelling filled his brain, causing him to wince at the loud sound.

"Where are you dunderheads taking us? Come on, untie me and fight me fair and square. I can beat you! I'm the best earthbender in the world!" She yelled, struggling at the metal bonds to no avail.

The Dai Li agent who was carrying her rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah. You're just a little girl, you can't take us. And you're prisoners, you don't need to know where you're going."

Aang grinned internally. He knew full well Toph could escape if she wanted, but she wasn't going to give away her superior advantage just yet.

"We're taking you somewhere no earthbender can escape." The Dai Li agent holding Aang told her. "Have fun while Princess Azula and Long Feng take control of the city."

The agent holding Toph smacked him. "Lihi, you don't just tell the prisoners what's going on. Haven't you learned anything?"

"It's not like they can do anything." Lihi said, rolling his eyes. "Despite what she might say, even she can't bend metal. They're not going to escape."

The two agents deposited them in a metal cell, suspended off of the ground by chains. As soon as their voices disappeared around the corner, Aang turned to Toph.

"Can you get us out of here?"

Toph rolled her eyes. "Of course I can Twinkle Toes. I'm the best earthbender in the world. Now, stand back."

Rubbing her hands, Toph placed them on the metal bars, before bending them back with ease. As soon as there was a hole big enough for them to walk through, Toph bent a staircase of earth, and motioned to Aang.

"Come on Twinkle Toes. We can escape through the ground. Then, they won't know we're missing until it's too late."

Aang grinned, following her down the stairs. "Now, let's go find our friends."

* * *

"Where did you take them?" Katara demanded, as two Dai Li agents carrying Aang and Toph peeled off from the rest of them.

The agent holding her laughed. "Somewhere they can't bend out of. You four, on the other hand, are going somewhere where no one will ever find you. Not until it's too late, at least."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Katara hissed.

The guard simply shook his head. "You'll find out."

Two Dai Li agents in front of them earthbended a staircase into the side of the mountain, before stepping aside, allowing the Dai Li agents that were carrying Katara, Sokka, Ty Lee, and Mai to walk down. The group traveled in complete silence and darkness, until Sokka was able to make out a faint glow coming from the path below them.

They broke out into a large, open cavern, glowing green crystals littered all around, and causing the light they had seen before.

"Have fun down here." The Dai Li agent holding Katara cackled, as they set them down, earthbending their bonds off, and closing the door so they couldn't follow.

Mai sat down on the ground, leaning up against one of the crystals, Ty Lee joining her. "What do we do now?"

"Aang and Toph will find a way out, I'm sure of it." Katara told her. "And Zuko and Iroh weren't captured. They'll find us."

Sokka looked around in concern. "Hopefully they can find us in time, before Azula and the rest of the Dai Li get to them."

"Who are you?" A voice asked, and the entire group turned around in surprise.

Sitting on the floor was an Earth Kingdom man with black hair and bright green eyes. He wore a green and yellow chaofu with horse-hoof cuffs and a green piling. On his head was a black guanmao with a red trim, gold finial, and the Earth Kingdom symbol. He wore a sash that was fashioned with a buckle shaped like the Earth Kingdom symbol and a set of jade court beads. Next to him was a bear, who wore a yellow tunic and a green guanmao.

"You're the Earth King." Katara said in suprise. "What are you doing down here?"

The King stood up. "Call me Kuei, since we're both captured down here. And this is Bosco." He said, gesturing to the bear. "Long Feng turned on me. One of the Kyoshi Warriors threw me down here. You're the Avatar imposters, aren't you."

"Your majesty, they aren't imposters." Mai said, stepping foreword. "Ty Lee and I were with Azula, the Kyoshi Warrior who threw you down here. None of us are actually Kyoshi Warriors. Azula is the Crown Princess of the Fire Nation. She and Long Feng lied about them being imposters, so they would be imprisoned."

King Kuei nodded. "I remember you two. Why did you turn on her?"

"Azula's brother Zuko, was with the Avatar." Ty Lee explained. "We realized he was right, when he told us to switch sides. He was a way better friend to us than Azula ever was. Luckily, he wasn't in the house when we were captured, so we still have a chance."

Katara turned towards the wall. "Let's hope Iroh and Zuko get here soon. And Aang and Toph escape. I have a feeling Azula won't wait to complete her coup of the city."

* * *

Zuko opened the door of _The Jasmine Dragon_ , which had closed about a half an hour ago. Derai and Iroh, who were cleaning out in the front room, looked up when he entered.

"Azula's here." Zuko gasped out. "Ty Lee and Mai warned us. They're going to try and take over the city. I came to get you two, because I know she'll go after you."

Iroh's eyes widened. "If my niece is in the city, we're in serious trouble."

"Come on," Zuko said, gesturing to them. "Everyone is back at the house."

Derai and Iroh set down their supplies, following Zuko back towards where the Gaang had been staying.

"Do you know what Azula is going to do?" Derai asked, as they ran.

Zuko shook his head. "Azula didn't tell Mai and Ty Lee much, but whatever she's going to do, it'll be bad. My guess is, she's going to try and perform a coup."

The three of them ran around the corner, skidding to a stop in shock, when they saw the house. The entire ceiling was caved in, the glass shattered and laying on the ground outside. The front door was split in half, one side falling in, and the entire right wall was crumbled.

"What happened here?" Derai asked, shocked.

Zuko ran towards the steps. "Come on, there may be some clues as to what happened to my friends."

The three of them stepped through the broken door, and took in the surroundings. The wall leading to one of the bedrooms was completely crumbled, and the few remaining walls had large cracks running through them. Holes in the ceiling allowed light to stream through. The table had been flipped on its side, two of its legs missing. Sitting in the center of the room, was Sokka's boomerang, planted almost as a warning.

"They've been taken." Zuko said, pulling the boomerang out of the ground.

Derai glanced at him confused. "How do you know that?"

"Sokka would never just leave his boomerang here." Zuko explained, holding up the weapon. "It's his most prized possession. He left it here, so I would know they're in trouble."

A flapping noise sounded from above, startling the three men, and Momo flew out of what was left of the ceiling, alighting on Zuko's shoulder, who reached up to pet the small lemur. A baying noise out back alerted the group to Appa's presence.

"Derai, you take Appa and get out of the city." Zuko told him. "Take Momo with you."

Derai glanced at him, confused. "Why? I can fight."

"If something goes wrong, we need a way to get out." Zuko explained. "Just please, go."

Iroh placed his hand on Derai's shoulder. "My nephew is right. If you leave, you're our best chance."

"I'll go." Derai told them. "Stay safe."

The other man ran to the back, jumping onto Appa as Momo followed him. With a shout of "yip-yip!" he was on his way, as Iroh and Zuko stood outside the demolished house, watching him fly away.

"That's not good, nephew." Iroh said, pointing down the hill towards the Great Walls of Ba Sing Se, where an army of red came into view, marching into the city.

Zuko sighed. "This is just like what happened last time."

"Even with all the knowledge in the world, you can't save everyone." Iroh told him.

A rumbling near their feet caused the two former Fire Nation royalty to jump back, lighting their flames. The ground broke away, revealing Aang and Toph.

"You're okay." Zuko sighed in relief, extinguishing his flames.

Aang nodded. "They put us in a metal cage, underneath the palace. But, they didn't count on Toph being able to bend metal."

"Did you see where they took the others?" Zuko asked.

Aang shook his head. "They separated us. I have no idea where the others went."

"Normally I would be able to feel them, but this city is so big, I have no idea where they would be." Toph said, sighing.

Zuko's eyes widened. "The Catacombs under Ba Sing Se. That's where the Dai Li kept them last time. They'll be there again."

"Lead the way." Toph gestured. "I'll take care of the earthbending."

As they began to run off, Aang skidded to a stop. "Wait! What about Appa?"

"I sent Derai with him and Momo out of the city." Zuko explained. "If something goes wrong, we needed a way to get out quickly."

Toph nodded. "Good idea Sparky. Now let's go save our friends."

* * *

The wall suddenly began to rumble, and the group turned to the wall, holding whatever weapons they still had. Katara grabbed the leftover water from her water skin, while Sokka pulled his sword out, Mai grabbed her few remaining knives, and Ty Lee held up her hands, poised to strike. King Kuei hid behind one of the crystals with Bosco. But when the dust cleared, it revealed Toph, Aang, Iroh, and Zuko.

"You're okay!" Katara cried, dropping her water and running to Aang, wrapping him in a hug.

Aang nodded. "Toph got us out. The Dai Li didn't expect her to be able to bend metal."

"Come on," Zuko called. "The Fire Nation is already overtaking the city. We need to go and help."

"Not so fast." A voice called out, and Azula stepped out of the shadows, flanked by too many Dai Li agents to count. "You know, I expected this treachery from Zuko and Uncle, but Mai and Ty Lee. I thought you were on my side."

Mai frowned, raising her stilettos. "Zuko was right Azula. This is wrong, and I'm ashamed it took Ty Lee and I this long to realize it. You aren't the girl we became friends with."

"You're right, I'm not. I'm stronger and I'm better than I was as a child." Azula said, smirking. "Oh well, I guess I'll have to kill you two. It doesn't matter, I don't need friends."

Zuko summoned his fire, staring at her. "It doesn't have to be like this Azula."

"Oh, I think it does." She said, summoning her own fire. "Dai Li, take care of the others. I have these three."

The Dai Li punched foreword, and Azula threw her blue fire, as chaos broke out in the cavern. Ty Lee jumped around, hitting what Dai Li opponents she could, chi-blocking them and causing them to fall to the ground, paralyzed. Mai sent foreword a barrage of knives, skewering the earthbenders and attaching them to the wall.

Katara pulled waves of water out of the underground rivers in the Crystal Catacombs, sending a wall of water towards the Dai Li, sweeping them out of the way, while Toph bended large sheets of earth, blocking the Dai Li's earth gloves. Sokka charged several of the earthbenders with his sword, knocking them away, while Aang used his staff to send large gusts of wind at the earthbenders. Iroh sent large waves of fire, causing the earthbenders to jump back, or send up sheets of earth to block him. But despite their best efforts, more and more Dai Li just kept coming.

Meanwhile, Zuko battled his sister, sending large waves of fire to combat her blue flames, and shooting fire balls, which Azula batted away with ease.

"My my Zuzu," she taunted. "You've gotten better in your banishment. Nowhere as good as me, but I suppose you're not a failure anymore."

Zuko frowned, shooting another fire blast. "You couldn't resist the opportunity to tease me, could you, Zula."

"Don't call me that!" She cried, furious, sending frantic blasts of blue fire at Zuko, who batted them away with ease.

Zuko smirked. It was too easy to get under her skin, and for a second, he understood why she always called him Zuzu. "If I didn't know better, I'd say you're upset about that nickname."

"Oh, whatever gave you that impression?" She hissed, sending another powerful blast of fire his direction.

As the battle raged on, Aang took a look around. He knew, that unless he did something, they wouldn't make it out of this alive. There were just too many Dai Li, and too little of them.

"Cover me!" He called to Katara, before bending the crystals that were littered around, and making himself a cover so he could meditate.

Toph glanced over, as the crystals began to glow, and even the Dai Li stopped, staring at in shock. Both Azula and Zuko calmed their fire, to turn and see what was glowing.

"What's he doing?" Toph called to Katara, who simply shrugged in response.

Suddenly, the crystals exploded outward, and a beam of light shot up into the air. Aang began to rise out of it, his tattoos glowing in the telltale sign of the Avatar State. Wind began to whip around the cavern, and everyone covered their faces, to shield themselves.

Zuko felt movement on his right side, and turned to see Azula shoot a stream of lightning directly at Aang.

"No!" He yelled, running and tackling her.

But the damage was done, he knew, even as he felt Azula smirk underneath him. Aang spasmed in the air, falling quickly towards the ground. Katara sent a wave of water, riding on it, as she barely caught Aang before he hit the ground.

"It's over Zuzu." Azula said smugly. "The Avatar is dead. You've lost."

Jumping off of his sister, Zuko ran over towards where Katara was cradling Aang in her arms.

"You all need to go." Iroh said, turning to them as the Dai Li advanced. "I'll hold them off."

Zuko gaped, grabbing him by the arm. "No Uncle. You can't do this."

"I'll be fine nephew." Iroh promised him. "You children are what matter now. You all need to go."

Iroh pulled away from Zuko's grasp, sending a large wall of fire out, and causing all of the Dai Li to jump back. Katara bended the water from the waterfall, pulling all of them up and out of the cavern, as she held Aang in her arms. As Zuko looked down, the last thing he saw before the cavern disappeared beneath him, was his uncle, restrained by crystals.

* * *

"What happened?" Derai demanded, as the group burst out of the ground, outside of the walls of Ba Sing Se, landing Appa next to them.

Zuko jumped up onto the saddle, pulling Bosco and King Kuei up with him. "Azula shot Aang with lightning. We need to go, now. Set a course for Chameleon Bay. The Southern Water Tribe are there, we can lay low for a while."

The rest of them jumped up onto Appa, and Derai steered them away from Ba Sing Se. Katara cradled Aang in her arms, as she pulled some of her Spirit Water out of its container. Bending the water into a globe, she held it over the lightning wound.

As the entire group watched with bated breath, Aang's tattoos glowed and he groaned, opening his eyes for a second, before closing them. Everyone let out a relieved sigh, grateful Aang was okay.

As they flew away from the city, Zuko turned back to face it, as the giant walls disappeared behind the clouds. A million thoughts flashed through his brain at once, but one stood out among all the others.

" _How could I have failed the city again?_ "

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry for doing that to everyone (or am I? hehe). I promise the next chapter is going to be a (mostly) fun one. Everyone needs a good break and some therapy, because we all know these children have a lot of trauma.


	20. The Missing Weeks

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As an apology for not posting in a while, here's an extra long chapter.

The sight of Chameleon Bay, as Appa crested over the hill, roused Zuko, who was laying back in the saddle, Toph's head on his shoulder. Katara barely looked up as Derai landed Appa on a small hill above the Southern Water Tribe's campsite, too focused on Aang, who was still laying unconscious in her arms.

"What happened?" Hakoda demanded, running up the hill to them, Bato right behind him.

Sokka jumped out of the saddle, facing his dad. "Princess Azula shot Aang, he's the Avatar, with lightning. Katara was able to save him with her special water from the Spirit Oasis in the Northern Water Tribe, but it doesn't look good, dad."

"We'll have Palruk look at him." Hakoda said, putting his hand on Sokka's shoulder. "Now come on. I'm sure you kids need some rest."

Katara slid out of the saddle, and moved to follow Sokka, Hakoda, and Bato. Hakoda went to put his hand on her shoulder, but she shrugged it off, hurrying to walk in step with Sokka.

Zuko frowned, jumping off of Appa, Mai, Ty Lee, Derai, King Kuei, Bosco, and Toph following him. Momo swooped down from the saddle, landing on Zuko's shoulder.

"Are you sure it's a good idea to be here Zuko?" Mai asked, glancing around the campsite. The majority of the Southern Water Tribe warriors had come out to see them, and the ones who spotted Mai, Ty Lee, Derai, and Zuko narrowed their eyes. "Some of these people don't seem that excited to see us."

Ty Lee shrugged, bending over backwards and kicking her legs over. "We'll be fine, Mai. We rebelled against Azula. They know we're on their side."

"The others aren't going to let anything happen to us." Zuko assured her. "And, I've been actively committing treason longer than any of you. They know I'm on their side."

Hakoda led them through the camp, towards the biggest tent. Sokka walked up in the front with Hakoda and Bato, talking to them quietly, while Katara followed him, Aang draped in her arms, as she mainly dodged any questions from her father.

Hakoda opened the tent flap, allowing the group to enter, and Zuko ducked inside, grateful to be out of the accusing looks of the Southern Water Tribe, not that he could blame them.

"I'll take him to Palruk." Bato told Katara, placing a hand on her shoulder. "You deserve the chance to speak with your father."

Shakily nodding, Katara passed off Aang's unconscious body to the older man, who ducked out of the tent and off into the camp.

"Earth King Kuei," Hakoda said, bowing to him. "It's an honor to have you in our camp."

King Kuei bowed back. "Thank you, but I'm not sure if I'm much of a king anymore."

"Princess Azula has taken over Ba Sing Se, Chief Hakoda." Zuko told him. "The Earth Kingdom has officially fallen."

Hakoda sighed, sitting down on one of the many furs littered around the tent. "Tell me what happened, and I mean everything. From the time you left the Southern Water Tribe, to now."

So they told them, Katara and Sokka mainly speaking, with Toph, Zuko, Mai, Ty Lee, and Derai interjecting when they needed to. The two Water Tribe siblings left out Zuko's time-travel for now, electing to inform him when the others weren't present. By the time they had finally caught up to where they were now, the sun had almost set, and was sitting low in the sky, Yue just peeking up over the horizon.

"We'll need to talk more tomorrow," Hakoda told them, looking up. "But it's getting late and you kids need your rest. And Derai, Mai, Ty Lee, and Zuko," he said, getting their attention as the group started to leave. "If anyone here gives you trouble for being from the Fire Nation, you come to me, okay."

Zuko nodded. "We will sir."

"Please, call me Hakoda." He told him, smiling.

Ducking out of the tent, the group headed towards where the smaller tents were, much of the Southern Water Tribe having retired for the night.

"So, that was your dad." Toph commented. "He's pretty cool."

Katara scowled, crossing her arms. "He's not that amazing."

"What's going on with you Katara?" Sokka demanded. "Dad's doing his best."

Toph nodded. "Sokka's right. Your dad is way better than mine or Zuko's. My dad tried to lock me away my entire life and Zuko's dad literally burned his face and is waging this war. Your dad is actively fighting it."

"I know," Katara said, sighing. "And maybe it's selfish of me, but dad left, and I wish he could have been there. I was eleven and Sokka was thirteen, and our dad wasn't around."

Zuko put his hand on her shoulder, smiling at her. "It's not selfish. You deserve to have your dad around. We all do. And I don't blame you for wanting that. I know my dad is a dick, I came to terms with that a long time ago."

"Let's just go to bed." Sokka suggested. "It's been a long day."

The Gaang nodded, separating at the tents. As Sokka and Katara climbed into their tent, Sokka put his hand on his little sister's shoulder.

"You should talk to dad tomorrow." He told her. "The last thing you want to do is not figure out what's going on with the two of you, and La forbid something happened to him, where you wouldn't get the chance. We are in a war."

Katara nodded. "I will, don't worry. But right now, I just want to go to sleep."

"Of course. Good night Katara." He said, smiling.

* * *

_The next morning..._

"Okay," Hakoda said, once all of them were back in the tent the next morning, after everyone had woken up and eaten breakfast. King Kuei and Derai were the only ones missing, the king having gone to walk Bosco, with Derai going with him to make sure nothing happened. "What's our plan?"

"There's a solar eclipse in the beginning of the summer." Sokka told his father. "We were thinking that we could use that to attack, but Zuko told us the Fire Nation would be aware of that possibility, and hide the Royal Family somewhere safe."

Zuko nodded. "We're an entire nation connected to Agni. It would make sense for the firebenders to know when they'd loose their own bending."

"Do you know where they would hide your father?" Hakoda asked him.

Zuko shook his head. "I haven't been home in three years, and that isn't something they would share with a thirteen year old."

"If it's underground, I'll be able to feel it if I get close enough." Toph spoke up.

Hakoda pulled a map out of a nearby bag, unrolling it on the ground in front of them. "If we're going to do this, we'll have to do it right. We'll only have a limited amount of time when the eclipse hits, which we should dedicate to Aang fighting the Fire Lord."

"They know there is a possibility of an invasion, but they don't know we're actively planning one." Zuko pointed out. "They'll be underprepared, and we'll have an advantage."

Hakoda nodded. "That's right. We're going to want to secure the city, before the solar eclipse. It'll be the only way we'll be able to pull this off."

"We can split off to go find Ozai." Sokka told him. "If we're able to find him before the solar eclipse, we'll have more time to dedicate to actually fighting him."

Zuko frowned. "There's only one wild card with this situation, my sister. I have no idea where Azula is going to be during the eclipse."

"Did Azula tell you anything before you deflected?" Hakoda asked, turning to Mai and Ty Lee.

Ty Lee shook her head. "Azula was mainly focused on taking Ba Sing Se. If she was aware of a possible invasion, she didn't say anything."

"As if Azula would tell us unless she was certain we wouldn't betray her." Mai grumbled. "She probably was on to us betraying her, before we even decided too."

"I'll take care of my sister." Zuko told them. "I'm the only one here who has a chance of beating her alone, except for Aang, but he'll need to fight my father. Besides, I have some business to settle with her."

Hakoda nodded. "We'll come up with more of the fine details of the plan later. We do have the time. You kids go have fun. I'm sure Katara and Sokka will want to catch up with some of the Southern Water Tribe."

"Thanks dad." Sokka smiled, standing up from the furs. "We'll see you later."

Ty Lee bounced up from her seat on the ground, pulling Mai up with her, and dragged her out of the tent, the normally gloomy girl rolling her eyes, but following her nonetheless. Zuko watched the two of them go, fondness in his eyes. Before, he had failed the two people who had been his only friends growing up, leaving them to be captured at the Boiling Rock, and most likely killed when Ozai and Azula won. But this time, it wouldn't happen. This time, he would save them.

"Come on," Toph said, nudging him. "Quit brooding and come with us."

Zuko scowled. "I'm not brooding."

"You're brooding." She insisted. "I'm blind, but even I can tell that."

Zuko rolled his eyes, but let the younger girl tug him out of the tent, following Katara and Sokka. As they walked outside, the Southern Water Tribe warriors walked over, all of them eager to see the children that had grown into teenagers.

"Sokka!" A voice cried, as a blur hurtled across the sand, slamming into the other boy. Zuko's hand went immediately to his dao, unsure if he would have to fight a new threat.

Sokka stumbled back in shock, before chuckling and hugging the body wrapped around his waist. "Sitim! It's great to see you!"

"Is that Sokka?" A voice called, as a Water Tribe warrior meandered over. "You've gotten so big."

He was slightly taller than Zuko, with dark brown hair pulled into a warrior's wolf tail, with two bright blue beads threaded through, and sparkling blue eyes, and appeared to be in his early twenties. He wore a short, boxy tunic that fell to his knees, with fur-trimmed leggings and long sleeves. The boy who had hurtled into Sokka pulled back, allowing Zuko to look at him for the first time. He was Sokka's height, with his dark brown hair pulled into a warrior's wolf tail, like the rest of the warriors, with three bright blue beads threaded through, bright blue eyes, and was only a couple of years older than them. He wore a short, boxy tunic that fell to his knees, fur straps tied around his waist, with fur-trimmed leggings and short sleeves.

"Pernok!" Sokka greeted the new warrior, pulling him into a tight hug. "It's great to see you."

Pernok smiled, pulling away from Sokka. "Who's this?" He asked, gesturing to Zuko, his eyes narrowed.

"This is Zuko." Sokka introduced, wrapping his arm around the other boy's shoulders. "Zuko, meet Pernok and Sitim. They're from our village."

Sitim grinned. "We were the closest in age to Katara and Sokka growing up. The four of us got into so much trouble when we were little. Unfortunately, Pernok and I were just old enough to leave with the rest of the warriors."

"He looks very Fire Nation." Pernok commented, looking Zuko up and down.

Zuko pulled away from Sokka, meeting Pernok's eyes as he faced the other warrior. "That's because I am."

"But it's okay, Zuko's on our side." Sokka assured his fellow tribesman. "He has been for a while. He helped at the Siege of the Northern Water Tribe."

Zuko nodded. "I may be Fire Nation, but that doesn't mean I support this war. My people are suffering as much as the rest of the world, since the only people who really benefit from it at all are the nobility. The common people are suffering just as much as the Earth Kingdom and Water Tribe, and they are the people I'm loyal to. The Fire Lord means nothing to me."

"That, and he's the only one powerful enough to stop his sister." Toph pointed out. "So, we kinda need him."

Sitim frowned. "Your sister?"

"She's the one who took over Ba Sing Se." Sokka explained.

Pernok's eyes widened. "But the princess took over Ba Sing Se. That makes you a prince and the Fire Lord your father."

"That doesn't mean I support him." Zuko scowled. "Thanks to him, my mother is gone, my uncle is in prison, and half my face is burned off. He's no father to me."

Spinning around, he stalked off, disappearing around the tents, as Sokka, Toph, Pernok, and Sitim watched him go.

"Zuko has a... complicated history with his dad." Sokka explained. "It's kinda a sore topic for him. I'm going to go check on him."

Sokka turned, leaving Toph, Pernok, and Sitim standing in the clearing, as he followed Zuko around to the back of the tents. Spotting him leaning up against the side of the cliff, a small fire bobbing in his hand as he watched it, Sokka slid down to sit next to him, Zuko barely acknowledging his presence.

"Do you want to talk about it?" He finally asked, after five minutes of silence.

Zuko sighed, eyes still on the small fire. "Ever since I realized what the Fire Nation was doing, the first time around, I've tried my best to distance myself from everything my father has done. But no matter what I do, there will always be people, like your friend Pernok, who can't see beyond my appearance. I don't think my scar has marked me, not anymore, but it just seems like my gold eyes and black hair have marked me even more than my scar could.

"Pernok will come around." Sokka assured him. "He just has a deep distrust of the Fire Nation. We all do to some extent." He sighed, staring off into the distance. "Do you remember what happened to Katara and I's mom?"

Zuko nodded. "She was killed in a raid. They were looking for Katara, but she died protecting her."

"She wasn't the only one who was killed that night." Sokka revealed. "Pernok's dad was hit with a fire blast from a firebender. And his mom was taken right in front of him by one of the soldiers. She never came back. After that, he moved in with Sitim, it's why they're so close."

Zuko turned to him, shocked. "I didn't know."

"Pernok doesn't like to talk about it." Sokka said, shaking his head. "We all have our scars from the Fire Nation, whether physical or not. Some are just harder to spot than others. It's inevitable in the war."

Zuko sighed. "I failed him Sokka."

"Who?" The other boy asked, confused.

"My uncle." Zuko revealed. "I knew he would get captured by the Fire Nation, but I was unable to stop them. Now he's trapped in a prison somewhere, and who knows what they're doing to him. I came back to save all my friends and the world, but I couldn't even save the man who was more of a father to me than my own father."

Sokka shifted, placing a hand on Zuko's thigh. "It's not your fault."

"But—" Zuko protested.

Sokka shook his head, cutting him off. "Nope. You don't get to blame yourself. You did everything you could to change things, Azula is just too tricky. We'll get him back, just like we did before."

"I promised I would change things." Zuko whispered. "But my uncle is still imprisoned, Azula still took Ba Sing Se, and Aang was still shot. It seems like nothing has changed from before."

Sokka smiled at him. "But things have changed. You're here now, and you'll be able to teach Aang firebending when it's time. We know about the Fire Nation's secret bunker, and Azula hasn't found out about the invasion plan. We're in a better position than before, and we have the opportunity to actually pull it off."

"Thanks Sokka." Zuko smiled. "You're a really good friend."

Sokka grinned. "Of course I am. Can I hug you now?"

"Okay fine." Zuko relented, but he was still smiling.

Sokka leaned over, wrapping Zuko into a tight hug. The other boy sinked into the hug, wrapping his arms around Sokka's waist, and resting his head on his shoulder. After a second, both boys pulled away.

"Now come on," Sokka said, clapping his hand on Zuko's shoulder. "I left Toph with Sitim and Pernok, and she's either going to destroy them, or they're going to get along scarily well."

Chuckling, Zuko followed Sokka back towards their friends.

* * *

"Hey dad," Katara said, poking her head into the tent. "Can we talk?"

Hakoda nodded, setting down the maps he was going over, and gestured for her to sit in front of him. "I was hoping you'd come in. I'd noticed that you were ignoring me for a while. Are you mad at me?"

"I was." She admitted. "But, I talked to my friends and they helped me realize I was wrong. I'm sorry. I was rude to you, and I shouldn't have been."

Hakoda smiled softly. "What were you mad about?"

"I was upset that you weren't there to see Sokka and I grow up." Katara admitted. "But, it's not your fault, and I shouldn't have blamed you."

Hakoda leaned over, pulling her into a hug. "It's okay. You were only eleven. No one should have to go through that."

"I love you dad." She cried, tears prickling at the corner of her eyes.

Hakoda smiled, hugging her tighter. "I love you too Katara."

Sokka leaned into the doorway of the tent, peeking in. "I hope we aren't interrupting anything."

"It's fine Sokka." Hakoda said, pulling back from Katara. "What is it?"

Sokka stepped into the tent, Toph and Zuko following him. "We were talking, and we came up with an idea as to how to get through Fire Nation waters undetected."

"The Fire Nation Navy is large." Zuko explained. "And while normally, that would be an issue, we can use it to our advantage. No one would notice if one ship stays from its normal path."

Hakoda's eyes widen. "If we can steal a ship, we'll be able to get into the Fire Nation."

"We don't need a large ship." Sokka told him. "A smaller ship would get us into the Fire Nation just as well."

"And, the smaller the ship, the less sailors on board, and the less firebenders." Zuko informed them. "We'd be able to easily capture a ship."

Hakoda nodded. "I'll inform the rest of the Southern Water Tribe. We are really good at trapping Fire Navy ships. Good job kids."

"Thanks dad." Sokka smiled.

Sitim poked his head through the tent door. "If you're done, the rest of the Southern Water Tribe wants to greet you."

"Go on." Hakoda told them. "You should see everyone."

Katara and Sokka darted out of the tent, following Sitim, while Toph and Zuko followed at an albeit slower pace. As the two of them rounded the corner, Zuko spotted Katara and Sokka, surrounded by four larger warriors, along with Pernok.

"Is there a reason that a Fire Nation brat is here?" One of the warriors asked, crossing his arms. He wore a short, boxy tunic that fell to his knees, fur straps that hung around his waist, with fur-trimmed leggings and no sleeves, and was dressed very similar to Sitim, Pernok, and the other warriors.

Sitim elbowed him. "Come on Maleq, Zuko's on our side."

"I probably should have expected this." Zuko muttered to Toph.

Sokka nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah, Zuko's been with us for a while. He helped defend the Northern Water Tribe from the Fire Nation."

The other three Southern Water Tribe warriors' eyes widened, murmuring to themselves. One of them stepped foreword, holding out a hand for Zuko to shake. His dark hair was pulled back into a wolftail, like the rest of them, with three blue beads threaded through a braid hanging down by his fast. He had an easy smile and sparkling blue eyes, reminding Zuko of Sitim.

"I'm Tokiq." He said, introducing himself. "Thanks for helping out, and for helping these two." He gestured to Katara and Sokka, both of whom rolled their eyes. "Hakoda's been worried about them."

Maleq scowled. "I still don't trust him."

"Lighten up Maleq." One of the other warriors told him, elbowing the other man. "Katara and Sokka obviously trust him, and that's good enough for me. I'm Dano," he introduced himself. "And the shy one is Ronrin."

Ronrin rolled his eyes. "I'm not shy, I'm just waiting for Maleq to stop deciding if he's going to trust the kid."

"All of you trust too easily, it's why we've run into the problems we've had. But _noooo_ no one listens to Maleq." He muttered.

Tokiq shook his head. "Stop being so over dramatic, Maleq."

A barking sounded from behind them, and the entire group turned around, to see an odd sight. A rather large dog, with giant, white, fluffy wings spread out, came running down the path. Various warriors jumped out the way, to avoid getting whacked with a face full of wing. It burst into the group, smacking both Maleq and Ronrin in the ankles, who cursed at the sudden pain, and jumping at Zuko.

Shocked, Zuko stumbled backwards, falling on the ground as he got a face full of puppy, amid the startled laugher of Sokka, Katara, Pernok, and Sitim.

"Who's this?" Zuko asked, as the puppy licked his face, squirming around in his lap.

Dano chuckled. "That's Snowy. She's a swan-dog, and it seems she likes you."

"Aw, it's so adorable." Sokka cooed, prompting Zuko to flip him off.

Smiling, he sat up, reigning in the excitable dog as he petted her head, her tail thumping in excitement. "She's really sweet."

"Who would have thought that Zuko would be an animal lover?" Katara asked, chuckling.

Zuko looked up at her. "I've always loved animals. Growing up, we had a turtleduck pond in the garden, and my mother and I would always feed them."

"I'm going to go talk to Palruk." Katara said, standing up. "I promised I would show him my waterbending healing."

As she walked away, Zuko turned to Sokka. "Is Katara okay?"

"She's taken what happened in Ba Sing Se really hard." Sokka said sighing, coming to sit down next to Zuko. Snowy licked his face, recognizing his sadness. "I think she believes that if she was a better healer, Aang wouldn't be in such a rough position."

Zuko sighed, staring off into the distance, as the other warriors walked away, recognizing this wasn't a conversation they should be apart of, Sitim watching them as he went. "If anyone is to blame it's me. Maybe, if I was able to stop Azula, or had done more, none of this would have happened."

"Hey," Sokka said, grabbing his hands. "We talked about this earlier, with your uncle. You need to stop blaming yourself for everything that happens. It's not your fault."

Zuko shook his head. "You don't understand Sokka. If I wasn't a failure of a firebender, I wouldn't have been banished, and I would have been in a position to help you, and maybe change Azula's mind."

"If you weren't banished, you would have still been on the Fire Nation's side, and we would have to deal with you, along with Azula." Sokka pointed out. "The other warriors may not trust you now, but they will, just give it time."

Zuko smiled. "You're a really good friend Sokka. Do you know that?"

"It's just one of my wonderful traits." Sokka grinned. "But seriously, you have the opportunity most people only dream of, the chance to redo your mistakes."

Standing up, Zuko reached his hand down, pulling Sokka up from the ground. "You give good advice."

"Of course I do." Sokka smirked. "Come on, let's go find our friends."

Linking his arm around Zuko's, Sokka dragged the other boy around the corner, amidst his protests. Sitim, Pernok, and Tokiq looked up from the ground as they appeared, Maleq, Dano, and Ronrin having left, as Sitim petted Snowy. The swan-dog's ears perked up when Zuko appeared, running over to him and pushing her head under Zuko's hand for him to pet her.

"I think you've made a friend for life, Zuko." Tokiq said, laughing. "Swan-dogs are fiercely loyal to a fault, it's why they're the chosen companion of the Southern Water Tribe, and if you make a friend of one of them, you make a friend for life."

Sokka snorted. "And Snowy is even more loyal than a normal swan-dog. Dad was going to keep her home with the tribe, but she followed him onto the boat and wouldn't leave."

As if they'd summoned him, Hakoda exited the tent. Bato by his side. "I would like to make an announcement," he called, prompting all of the warriors to stop what they were doing and pay attention, with even Katara and Palruk coming out of the healer's tent. "After talking to my children and their friends, we have made the decision to steal a Fire Navy warship."

Murmurs broke out among the warriors, as several turned to each other, concern on their faces. It wasn't a surprising reaction, Zuko reasoned. After all, stealing a warship would be dangerous, and they might not necessarily want to use their resources helping Aang, even if he was the Avatar.

"We won't be stealing an extremely large ship." Hakoda assured them. "Just one big enough to get the Avatar and his friends into Fire Nation territory. The smaller ships won't be as strongly defended, nor will they be expecting to be attacked. We'll be able to take one easily."

Bato stepped foreword. "If we pull this off, we'll be one step closer to stopping the Fire Nation. We'll finally be able to go home."

"We won't need everyone for this mission." Hakoda told them. "If any of you aren't comfortable with this, you can stay at the camp."

Maleq stood up. "I always trust you Hakoda, but where did you get the information from? Did it come from the Fire Nation brat?"

From next to Sokka, Zuko stiffened at Maleq's accusation.

"Yes, Zuko did tell me some information." Hakoda acknowledged. "But my children trust him, and so do I."

Maleq crossed his arms. "How could you trust him? He's the damn Fire Prince."

From across the camp, murmuring broke out, the warriors looking at each other in concern, some shooting distrustful looks at Zuko, who stiffened, but held his head high.

"How about we have Zuko explain himself?" Tokiq suggested, over the din of the crowd. "He deserves the chance to defend himself, before we start attacking him for his loyalties."

Hakoda nodded to the teen. "Come on up, Zuko."

Zuko smiled tightly, walking towards where Hakoda and Bato were and joining them. "Maleq was right." He told the warriors. "My name is Zuko, son of Fire Lord Ozai and Fire Lady Ursa. But that's not all I am. When I was thirteen years old, I was banished by my father, after I defended a group of new recruits that the Fire Nation was going to send to their deaths as a distraction. My father forced me to fight an Agni Kai, which is an honor duel between two firebenders, but when I refused to fight him, he burned and banished me in front of an entire crowd. I was told that the only way I could restore my honor, was by capturing the Avatar and returning home. But while I was traveling throughout the Earth Kingdom, I realized that what the Fire Nation is doing is wrong, and I want to stop it. I may be the son of the Fire Lord, but I hate my father. That's why I decided to help Aang. I know you have no reason to trust me, but I promise you, I'm not lying."

As Zuko walked back towards where Sokka was standing, the warriors glanced among each other, muttering about what Zuko had said. Finally, Maleq, who had seemed to become the unofficial president of the "Distrust Zuko" club, stepped foreword.

"We trust you Chief, and we trust Sokka and Katara. We don't necessarily trust the Fire Prince, but we'll listen to you."

Hakoda nodded. "We'll steal a warship tomorrow. Everyone, rest up and we'll meet back here at first light."

* * *

_The next day..._

"Are you ready?" Sokka asked Zuko, as the two of them walked towards the center of the camp, Zuko with his swords strapped to his back, and Sokka with his club strapped to the holster on his hip, his sword on the other hip, and his boomerang strapped to his back.

Zuko nodded. "I want to prove to the other Southern Water Tribe warriors that I'm here to help, and that I'm not loyal to the Fire Lord."

"You already convinced my dad, Bato, Sitim, Tokiq, and potentially Dano, Ronrin, and Pernok. The others will come around eventually, and some may have already come around after what you said yesterday." Sokka assured him. "You just need to be patient."

Zuko glanced towards where the Southern Water Tribe warriors were milling around in the clearing. "I hope you're right."

"There you are!" Sitim exclaimed, running over to Sokka and Zuko, Toph and Pernok behind him. "We were wondering where you were."

Toph scoffed. "You were wondering where they were. I knew they were coming."

"We would have been here sooner, but someone decided to take the time to sharpen his boomerang." Zuko said, gesturing to Sokka.

Sokka scowled. "Having a sharp boomerang is important for any battle. I'm sure you want to sharpen your swords."

"Why of course." Zuko said, siting down and taking a polishing rag out of his bag, as he pulled his swords off his back. "But I didn't waste time this morning to sharpen them, I did it last night."

Toph stomped on the ground, catching several rocks that flew up. "Well, I'm ready. Let's go steal a ship!" She smirked. "I can't wait to test my metalbending out in a fight."

"You know, I'm starting to think it was a mistake to teach Toph to metalbend." Zuko stage-whispered to Sokka.

Toph grinned, earthbending a small rock and launching it at Zuko's head, who winced. "I heard that Sparky."

"Are you all ready to go?" Hakoda asked, coming up behind them, Katara and Bato following.

Zuko rubbed his bruised temple, as Sokka answered his father. "Yep. We're all ready."

Motioning to the other groups of warriors, Hakoda waved them foreword, and the group slipped out of the camp. A couple people had stayed behind, including Palruk, to give the camp the appearance of being occupied.

Sneaking around the side of the beach, they hid behind the rocks, peeking out to see the Fire Navy ship resting on the sand, the small figures of the Fire Nation soldiers running about.

Nodding to one of the other groups, Hakoda signaled them. The group, led by Maleq, creeped foreword towards the soldiers. The sound of the Water Tribe and Fire Nation clashing drowned out any noise that their small group could have made, as they crept towards the ship.

Knocking out the single Fire Nation solider on the deck with a well placed water whip from Katara, Zuko, Sokka, Hakoda, Bato, Toph, and Katara boarded the ship, Toph making a beeline for the engine room. Glancing over the side of the ship, Zuko spotted Mai and Ty Lee working in tandem to take out the soldiers. Ty Lee flashed him a thumbs up, before unleashing a fury of jabs on the solider who tried to sneak up on her, and Mai pinned three of them against the tree with her knives.

"Do you know how to sail this ship?" Hakoda asked Zuko, as he entered the engine room.

Zuko shook his head. "Jee was always the one sailing the _Wani_. I probably only came into the engine room a handful of times."

"I've flown an airship, how hard can this be?" Sokka asked, cracking his knuckles. "Toph, do you think you can sabotage those other ships?"

The young earthbender smirked. "Of course I can Snoozles. Who do you think I am?"

Running out of the engine room, Toph earthbended a platform from the harbor floor, carrying her across the harbor towards the three other Fire Navy that were docked. The Gaang, plus Hakoda and Bato, leaned up against the railing, watching as smoke began to rise out of the ships and they began to crumble in upon themselves.

Down on the beach, the two armies stopped their battle to gaze in shock upon the slowly being destroyed ships. From across the water, Toph's cackles echoed out.

Hakoda shook his head. "She is having way too much fun with this."

"What do you expect?" Zuko chuckled. "It's Toph."

Another platform rose out of the ground, carrying Toph over to them, as the three ships slowly sank into the harbor. As soon as she was back on board, Hakoda ran over to the side of the ship.

"Everyone, get on!" He called down to them.

Turning away from the battle with the Fire Nation, the Water Tribe warriors sprinted up the gangplank of the ship. A couple firebenders tried to shoot fireballs at them, which Katara quickly dispelled with a wall of water.

"That was so cool!" Ty Lee cheered, skipping up to them, Mai behind her. "I've never seen bending like that."

Toph grinned. "That's because I invented it."

"She's not lying." Zuko told Mai and Ty Lee. "Apparently, metalbending isn't as impossible as everyone thought it was."

As Ty Lee bounced after Toph, asking her all sorts of questions about metalbending, which Toph was more than happy to answer, Mai turned to Zuko.

"Ty Lee and I were talking, and we're going to stay with the Southern Water Tribe." She told him.

Zuko's eyes widened. "But why? You just joined us."

"I know you are going to the Fire Nation, and Ty Lee and I can't go back there." Mai reminded him. "It's too dangerous. Azula is out for our blood, after what we did at Ba Sing Se, and the two of us were already really high profile people. We'll be recognized immediately. We'll see each other again, Zuko."

Zuko nodded. "I know, but I hate that it's like this. You two were my only two friends growing up, I don't want to loose you again."

"And you won't." Mai promised him. "Go help Aang win this war Zuko, so Ty Lee and I can come back. And besides, you have more friends then just us now, you're not alone."

Mai gestured towards where the rest of the Gaang were, and Zuko followed her line of sight. Ty Lee and Toph were leaning up against the railing, Ty Lee's mouth going a mile a minute,, while Toph listened to her. Sokka was visible through the window of the engine room, gesturing to various machines, as he rattled off information to a slightly confused looking Bato and Hakoda. Katara sat on the ground of the deck, healing the burns of the Water Tribe warriors.

"You're right." Zuko agreed. "I'm not alone."

* * *

_Three weeks later..._

"Are you sure you're ready?" Hakoda asked them one last time.

Aang, who had just woken up from his coma the previous night nodded, leaning up against Appa. "We sure are, Hakoda sir."

"Just be careful." Hakoda told them, chuckling.

Zuko turned to Derai. "Are you sure you don't want to come with us?"

"I have to find the Wani's crew." Derai told him. "They deserve to know what's happened, since we split up. Just promise me you'll help end this war, so we can all come back."

Zuko nodded, pulling Derai into a hug. "I will. This war needs to end, so everyone can come back."

His eyes flashed to Ty Lee and Mai, who stood on the deck of the ship with Sitim and Pernok, Ty Lee waving back at him when their eyes met.

"Come on Zuko," Sokka called from on top of Appa. "It's time to get going."

Turning around, Zuko pulled himself up onto Appa's saddle, settling into a spot next to Sokka. With a call of "yip yip!" from Aang, Appa took off into the air, and Zuko watched the figures of Derai, Ty Lee, Mai, Hakoda, Bato, Sitim, Pernok, Maleq, Dano, Ronrin, Tokiq, Palruk, and the rest of the Southern Water Tribe grow smaller and smaller.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp, I didn't mean to write so much angst, but apparently when I'm bored out of my mind during econ, I write angst.
> 
> And no, this isn't going to be a Zukka fic, even though I love them and ship them, but I am trying to keep it gen. Stupid characters with minds of their own smh.
> 
> Also, I'm using this chapter as a testing ground for my OCs, and if you guys like them, I'm going to include them in a slowburn Zukka fic that I'm going to write after this which I'm really excited about. So, please review them so I know what people think of them.
> 
> I'm terrible at drawing, but if someone wanted to draw Snowy, I would love to see it. I would do it, because I love her, but it would turn out as absolute trash, and I don't want to subjugate anyone to that.
> 
> Also, if I made a Tumblr for this fic and my others, would y'all go on it? You would be able to ask me questions about this fic and some of my others.
> 
> And if you've read this far into the Author's Notes, which is basically just me rambling, you get a cookie :)


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